The Saotome Blade
by Morden Night
Summary: Ranma's Father is killed by a vampire when Ranma is just six years old. Ranma is half Vampire himself and he becomes a vampire slayer on a quest to kill the one responsible for his Pop's death.
1. The Feast Of Blood Is Cut Short

A CROSSOVER FANFIC BY JOSH (A

A CROSSOVER FANFIC BY JOSH (A.K.A. Morden Night) VANHALTEREN

The Saotome Blade

This is a crossover between Ranma 1/2 and one of my favorite movies of all time Blade. Another idea that would not escape my mind that demanded to be written down. I've always been a big vampire fan and this gives me the chance to do one about Ranma I'll probably be doing more vampire fics or originals, just because vampires are the coolest. Read it and send me any ideas you have. if you think something more could be done with the story than by all means tell me! Send comment, criticism, and of course fan art to me at: anime_morden@hotmail.com or: anime_morden@crystal-tokyo.com

The Saotome Blade

Disclaimer: Most of the characters in this story do not belong to me, some characters do, but most are the creation of Rumiko Takahashi Creator of Ranma 1/2 although I may have tweaked some of their personalities a bit.

* *: Thoughts

[" "]: Chinese Language

Capital letters: Shouting or loud noises

{ }: Author's own thoughts

_ _: Stressed words

Chapter 1

The Saotome Blade

Somewhere in China, just outside of a small village called Nieuchiezu, a young couple enters a tavern in the middle of the night. One of them was a young Chinese man around the age of 19 with dark black hair and grungy modern clothes that were more fit for places like America. He had lean, muscular features and was fairly tall. The girl was a pretty, innocent-looking girl, around 16 years of age, with long green hair that reached down to the small of her back. She had lovely emerald green eyes and lively facial features. Her figure was trim and fit with not an ounce of fat and her outfit snugly molded itself to her almost like a second skin. She wore a blue Chinese Pantsuit and white sandals, and had a long, silver sword sheathed at the side of her hip. The man looked down at the shorter girl with affection. ["Well Dao El, here we are."] 

The girl named Dowel looked at the place her new husband had brought her to in confusion. It was just an ordinary tavern. She had visited it with her friends frequently and had not found the place to be anything special. ["Why did you bringing me here for, Husband? I thought that you said you were going to give me an exciting honey moon?"]

["This place is a lot more than it seems, Dao-ell my dear. And you _will_ have an exciting honeymoon... I guarantee it."] The man who was her husband repleid, as the two of them sat at a pair of bar stools. After waiting a couple minutes, the bartender came over to their location while drying out a drinking glass.

["What can I get for you two young people? Anything special?"] The bartender asked. Dowel's husband spoke to the man after flashing him a medallion that he wore around his neck, which was usually covered beneath his shirt. ["I want to go to a party that I heard was going on here."]

The bartender nodded his head in understanding and pointed the two of them in the direction of the back room. ["The party's down the stairs and to the right. You can't miss it. It's a big metal door with a sign on it"] Dowel's husband nodded and followed the bartenders directions with Dowel right behind him. 

Dowel brightened up considerably as she followed her new husband towards the back room. ["Ooh Shin Yo, why didn't you tell me there was a party going on? I love parties!"] 

Shin Yo looked at her and showed her a flashy smile that made her melt in her shoes. ["I wanted it to be a surprise for you."]

The pair happily continued through the door and down the stairs. They soon came across a large metal door guarded by a large muscle-bound bouncer who stopped them at the entrance. The bouncer was a bald Caucasian and wore a tight black t-shirt, black jeans and dark glasses. ["No weapons allowed inside. The sword will have to stay with me, little girl."]

Dowel looked a little downcast. She never went anywhere with out her sword as it was the one most important possessions that she had. She thought for a few seconds, before deciding to at least give it up for tonight besides it was her honeymoon. It was supposed to be the best night of her life and besides she could fight without it so she handed it to the bouncer, who put it in a storage bin beside the door. The man then opened the door, allowing them entrance. 

********

Back at the bar, the other patrons were all happily getting drunk at their bar stools, as the bartender refilled their glasses every now and then. After he was done refilling, he would go to cleaning out some more drinking glasses while the people continued to drink themselves into a stupor. Just then, a figure entered the building. All of the customers looked towards the newcomer and almost wet their pants at the sight of the guy. He had large black boots, tight black jeans, a black bulletproof vest, a large trench-coat and several different swords, knives, guns, and other such assorted weapons sheathed all over his body. He had a dark pair of stylish sunglasses and his hair was tied back in a short pigtail. 

Some of the customers left in a hurry as they got the feeling that this guy was here to cause trouble and they did not want to get stuck in the middle of it all.

Ranma Saotome walked into the bar with his usual brand of confidence. He approached the bartender who was not afraid of how he looked at all, since he had seen lots of strange people in his days. ["Can I get you something to drink sir?"]

Ranma just looked at him blankly his emotions hidden beneath his black sunglasses. ["Where's the party?"] 

The bartender looked at Ranma suspiciously for a moment before deciding whether or not this one should be let in or not. ["This is a bar, kid. We don't hold parties here."] 

Ranma looked as if he understood and was about to leave when he suddenly jumped over the counter separating him and the bartender, grabbing his neck and slamming the older man into the wall a foot off of the floor. His expression changed into an angry glare as he spoke in a much more demanding voice. ["Listen you. I've traveled a long way and I have work to do. I don't have time to argue with idiot bartenders. Now I'm going to ask you just one more time. Where is the _party_!"]

The bartender struggled under Ranma's grip as it was extremely tight around his throat, like a steel vise. The stranger was incredibly strong, like a body-builder, yet he had the frame of something more like a swimmer or a runner. The bartender struggled to get his next words out. ["It's in the (urk!) back door. Down the (cough) stairs to the (urk!) right!"] 

Ranma dropped the bartender to the ground and the chubby man fell to his knees trying to get his breath back. He walked away towards his destination without another word. One of the customers at the counter looked over the counter at the bartender on the floor. ["(hic) Youngins these daysh. No reashpect! (hic)"] 

The bartender gave the customer an evil glare. ["(cough) Shut Up Willie!"]

Willie's response was the in the form of his head contacting with the counter with a thud as he passed out from all of the alcohol he had consumed that night.

Ranma entered the back room and headed down the stairs towards a door with a vampire sign on it. *Jackpot!* He thought with an evil smile upon seeing it. There was also a bouncer at the door, but that was of no concern to someone like him. 

The bouncer looked at the newcomer and noted that he had several different weapons sheathed all over his body. ["Hey kid! No weapons inside! You'll have to leave all that with me."] 

Ranma smiled his evil smile again at the bouncer and then replied. ["Sorry, but my work tools stay with me. You got a problem with that, baldy? Too bad."] 

The bouncer rolled up the short sleeves of his tight black tee-shirt up. ["You just earned yourself a whole world of hurt kid!"]

Ranma unsheathed one of the swords that were slung over his back. He held it down at his side and touched the tip of it to the floor. ["Wrong answer."]

**********

Dowel was surprised when she entered the room with Shin Yo. There were tons of people that were all dancing to the overly loud music being pumped from speakers that were positioned all around the room. She had never been anywhere like this. When Shin Yo had said a party, she thought it would be like back at the village with a martial arts competition, followed by music played by the village band, and a feast prepared by many different people. She had never thought it would be like this. It was an overwhelming new experience for her.

Dowel turned to tell her husband how wonderful this was, but he was gone. She looked around for him, but had a hard time locating him through the crowds. She spotted him eventually, but he was already on the other side of the dance floor. 

["Shin Yo!"] She called to him as she waved to make herself stand out. Shin Yo seemed to not notice her, so she started making her way towards his general direction. It was very difficult walking through the crowd as she kept on getting pushed around and redirected in the wrong direction. The beautiful green haired Dowel was now starting to get frustrated by her lack of luck, when she bumped in to another person she turned around to give him a good punch in the head, but it was Shin Yo and she gave him a loving hug.

["Oh Husband! I thought I would never be able to make my way to you."] Dowel felt something wet at the back of her neck. She detached herself from her husband to see what it was. Reaching up with her hand to the back of her neck, she wiped the substance from her skin and brought it to her face to see. It was blood, or at least she thought it was. She brought it to her lips and tasted it. It was BLOOD!

Just then more of the crimson liquid rained down from the sprinkler system and all of the people in the room seemed to get rowdier. Dowel found herself being pushed around harder than ever now. But she only had one thing on her mind right now and it was to get out of the hell hole that she was now in. Her frantic running got her pushed down onto the floor as blood continued running down her green locks and her beautiful face. She looked up to see Shin Yo looking down at her.

Dowel held up her hand to Shin Yo as she started to weep. ["Please Husband! (sob) Take me home! I don't want to be (sniff) here anymore!"] She waited for his answer, but he just stared down at her. The blood sprinklers died down and stopped and that was when he smiled. However, this wasn't the smile that Dowel was used to seeing on her husband. It was a cruel mean smile. It was a smile with fangs that were not there before. 

Dowel screamed as all of the people around her bared fangs just like Shin Yo had. Then her husband leaped down on her forcefully, and bent her head to the side, exposing her neck and baring his fangs. Just as he was about to sink his enlarged canines into her flesh, there was a gun shot and Dowel felt dust crumble on top of her. The room was now silent. The Amazon girl looked towards where she saw all the others gazing at the entrance. Standing in front of the door was a man no older than she was, wearing all black with dark sunglasses and a pigtail. He was fairly tall and muscular, but not overly so. He had two swords sheathed to his back and several different weapons underneath the large black trench coat.

The vampire hunter looked up at the crowd and spoke to them in a casual voice. ['Sorry but I'm here to crash your party."] He then unsheathed his two swords which where medium-sized double-edged blades with intricate designs covering the hilts. All of the fanged people ran away in a mad rush screaming and scrambling to find an exit other than the one that the man in black blocked. Dowel could make out some of the words that the people were saying as they ran for their undead lives. They were calling the man... the Saotome Blade. 

Ranma readied his trusty swords of pure silver and looked around the room at all of the vampires scrambling to get away from him. *Well I've certainly built up a reputation for myself.* He thought as he cut off the head of a vampire that got too close to his liking. 

One of the vampires suddenly stopped to act tough by riling the crowd up. ["Hey! HEY! We outnumber him he can't possibly beat us all!@ 

Most of the vampires that were there thought about this for a second before another spoke. ["YEAH! He can't _POSSIBLY_ beat us all!"] That was the deciding phrase for the rest of them as they all yelled out a cry of agreement and rushed towards the intruder. 

Ranma Saotome, the all around vampire hunter, known among the Undead Race as the Saotome Blade, smiled again as all of the blood-suckers swarmed around him and attacked him all at once. He was in action in less that a heartbeat, slicing one vampire in half then turning around to stab another trough the heart with the same sword. He then spun in and arc slicing two vampires in half with one sword then kicking one from behind him back into a group of vampires with enough force to knock them all down. Ranma stopped for a second to taunt the rest of them who had paused and to let the bodies he had just cut up shrivel up into black dust. The others stood back and were unsure of whether they should continue fighting.

Ranma took a stance with his swords one above his head and the other pointing to the largest group of vampires. ["Is that _ALL_ you got?"] That got the rest of the vampires riled up enough to attack him again, this time with much more numbers and skill. The Saotome Blade just smiled again as they all closed in on him like a school of piranha.

Dowel became frightened and intrigued at the same time as the vampires were all ganging up on the man in black. They outnumbered him but he was still winning. She marveled at how Ranma wove through them all with those glistening silver swords, like a dance. His form was perfect as far as Dowel could tell, and was by far more skilled than she was with a blade. He was an amazing martial artist. And he seemed to flow through their defenses as if they didn't have any. Dowel was not stupid and had figured out as soon as Shin had tried to bite her neck that they were all vampires. She also knew that Shin Yo was dead. She sighed. *I guess I'm a widow already. Then again, Shin Yo was not exactly human nor alive. * Dowel found that thought to be somewhat comforting.

The vampires backed away from Ranma again after he had taken out already more than half of them and didn't even have a single mark on him. The vampire destroyer, seeing a good opportunity, sheathed his swords and pulled out from under his trench coat what looked to be an oversized shotgun. Ranma cocked the gun and shot a vampire through the heart with what appeared to be a silver spike. The undead being flew across the room and his flash disintegrated in the air, leaving a charred black skeleton flying towards Dowel. The bony fragments crumbled to dust as soon as it hit her. The young Amazon looked at the remains of the vampire and then picked up the silver spike that had killed it. She put it inside the front of her top, just in case.

Just then, a vampire was kicked and sent in her direction it got up and then grabbed her. Dowel eeped as the vampire grabbed her by the throat and pulled her up off the ground. He purposely kept her in front of him he slowly walked towards the exit. Ranma noticed this and was about to shoot it to when he saw he had a hostage. 

["LET HER GO!!"] He said as he pointed the shotgun at the vampire. 

The vampire gripped Dowel harder, making her struggle even harder as she felt her breath being choked off. ["No! You let me leave safely or I'll kill her!"] 

Ranma took his aim away from the vampire. ["Let her _GO_ now!"] 

The vampire decided to press his luck. ["No! Drop the weapon!"] 

Ranma was about to do as he was told when Dowel pulled out the silver spike out of her blouse and stabbed her captor through the heart.

The vampire looked down at the silver spike imbedded in his heart with utter shock. ["Oh FUCK!"]

Dowel pulled out the spike back as the vampire's flesh disintegrated and his black skeleton crumbled to dust. 

Ranma smiled at Dao-ell. ["Good job! Now get out of here!"] Ranma said as he whirled around and shot another vampire that had tried to get behind him for a cheap shot. 

Dao-ell shook her head. ["No I want to kill vampires too!"] 

Ranma sighed as he unsheathed one of his swords and casually slashed another one of the vampires into ash. *There's always one like this. Oh well!* 

Ranma tossed Dowel one of his smaller silver knives and she went to work cutting down vampires with Ranma. The Saotome Blade put his shotgun away and pulled out his other sword. *Hmm She's not to bad at this. Maybe, naah, she's just a girl.* 

At that moment, one of the vampires knocked Dowel's weapon away and was about to bite her neck and turn her into an undead slave. When Ranma came in to punch his lights out, the vampire swung the girl in his way and she got the brunt of the blow.

Ranma pulled his hand back as a young kid would after getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. ["Oops, um ... sorry!"] He fixed his mistake and stabbed the vampire trough the heart with his blade. ["There, all better."]

The Amazon was unable to hear his apology as she was currently sprawled on the floor unconscious.

Ranma was down to three opponents as he put away his two swords and looked at them with a knowing smirk. The vampires took one look at each other and made a mad scramble for the exit. 

Ranma took out three silver throwing stars and threw them towards the last of the blood-suckers. They all stabbed deep into their backs, piercing into their hearts. The final three crumbled to black dust just like all the others. He went over to Dowel's unconscious form and picked her up. After he had her prone form slung over his shoulder, he made for the entrance and paused at the door. Reaching into his belt, he took out a small cylinder of very flammable material and ignited it. He tossed it into the center of the room and made a fast exit as the cylinder suddenly exploded into flames. In less than a minute, the flames consumed the remains of the horrific battle and began spreading quickly. As Ranma made his way out, he also picked up Dowel's sword as well.

The human patrons in the floor above began smelling smoke and saw Ranma dash by with an Amazon slung over his back. The ones that could get to their feet picked up those who couldn't and staggered to escape. The bartender screamed as he saw his place of business begin to go down in flames. He too ran for his life, along with his bouncer, as he silently cursed himself for dealing with the Undead Race.

********

Ranma stood on a cliff that overlooked the flaming tavern with a look of disappointment and rage. His ultimate quarry had not been there. Toru Asahata, the vampire lord who had killed his father, and the reason that he became the Saotome Blade, had not been present . Then again, it had only been a tavern. Toru owned most of the vampire holdings in China, and it wasn't very likely that he would be caught hanging out at a party at a bar. 

Ranma looked at the girl lying on the ground behind him. She was unconscious but would be around in a short while. Her sword also glistened in the moonlight after he had laid it beside her. She was a warrior, he could tell, and a pretty one at that. He had seen many brave people on his journey and some were just like this girl who refused to run away from a fight. 

He sighed as he looked at the sleeping green-haired beauty. She reminded him of himself. He was once like that, when he was young. He would never give up on a fight and that was why he became who he is today. He glances down at the burning building in the valley below. He wanted Toru to pay dearly for killing his father. 

The Saotome Blade hated vampires and he had never once found one that was not evil. After all the years of training he had put himself through, he had grown to hate vampires more than anything in the entire world. You can imagine how devastated Ranma had been when he found out he was part vampire himself. 

The Day Walker was another name that vampire race called him. Another term for him was dhampir, or a half-breed child of a vampire and a human. Ranma had all the strengths of a vampire and none of their weaknesses. He wouldn't burn up in the sunlight, He was not allergic to garlic, and he certainly had no taint of evil. He was a half-vampire and an enemy to all those who shunned the light and drank the life-blood of the innocent..

He sensed movement from behind him and spun around to see Dowel starting to stir from her... forced nap. He walked over to help her up. 

The Amazon girl woke up with an extreme pain in her jaw. She sat up and held her face in pain. *What hit me* She then remembered the Saotome Blade's fist propelling towards her. *Oh Right he did....and he knocked me unconscious.....He defeated me.* 

Ranma was just bending towards her to help her up. He took her hand and she got up. ["Are you feeling okay? I'm sorry I... mphf!!!"] 

The dhampir was cut off by Dowel's lips meeting his as he found himself in a warm, passionate embrace. Ranma was not used to being kissed. In fact, this was his first kiss. When Dowel broke it, he was sorry she had. It had felt good to be kissed by a beautiful girl such as this. Even if she was covered in dried blood from head to toe.

Ranma backed up a little from the pretty green haired girl. ["I... uh... heh, that was well... ah, maybe y-know I gotta go... um, lot's of work to do! Vampires to hunt, y-know!"] Ranma ran off without another word leaving Dowel behind.

Dowel ran after Ranma trying to catch up with him but he was much too fast for her. ["WAIT, WAIT PLEASE!!...husband...." Dowel slowed down to a walk and then eventually stopped with her hands folded on her chest just above her heart. As she watched her new husband run off into the distance and sighed. Soon he was out of sight and seemingly out of her life.

***********

Ranma Saotome sat alone at the usual hideout, which was a little shack just outside of a town by the boat docks. He was currently wiping the vampire blood off one of his swords. *Well Saotome looks like you learned something new today... you're a complete failure with women!* He sighed as he put his blade in its sheath and set it beside his bed with his other weapons. He then laid down on the bed with just his pants and a pair of black socks on.

*Why can't I find Toru? How hard can it be to find one vampire? He's the biggest known vampire in China! There's got to be someone who knows where he is.* He sat in bed for a bit before the answer came to him. *Donny!* Ranma sat bolt upright in his bed *Donny! He knows all about the vampires and the human underground!*

Ranma took his vest off of a table that he had thrown it on when he got home, then grabbed his trench coat from the cheap coat rack that he had bought off of some old lady with a peg leg. He ran out the door, taking to the rooftops on his way to Donny's place.

**********

At the Amazon village of Nieuchiezu, Dowel was just returning through the gates of the village. Her friends Comb and Cassette met her when she came in. Cassette spoke first. ["How was Shin Yo, Dao El?"] 

["Yeah!"] Comb seconded. ["How was he?"]

Dowel smiled at her two best friends and replied. ["He's dead."] 

This was about the time that Comb and Cassette realized that their best friend was covered from head to toe in dried blood. Comb was shocked along with her friend. ["W-WHAT HAPPENED!?!"] Dowel didn't reply. 

Cassette decided to speak what both she and Comb were thinking. ["You killed your _husband_ on your honeymoon?!"]

Dowel walked past them, heading in the direction of the elders' hut. ["No, He did."] Both girls curiosity grew tenfold at Dowel's last comment and followed after her. 

["Who's he?"] 

["Was he _cute_?"]

["Did he defeat you?"]

And the questions went on, and on, and on, and on.......

*********

The bell on the door chimed as Ranma walked into the store. "Hey DONNY, where are yah?" Just after Ranma had finished saying those words, a short man appeared from a side door. He had blond hair tied back in a long ponytail that reached down to the small of his back. "Yeah whadda ye want Ranma? I got work to do here so hurry it up get what ye need, buy it and go. I actually got customers today."

Ranma grabbed Donny's hand in a firm hand shake. " Good to see you too, Donny. How've you been?"

Donny took his hand back from Ranma and went behind the counter to put some stuff away. "Yeah I've been good and business is getting better now-a-days, and I've been seeing this great new blonde bombshell from New York named Sabrina."

Ranma looked shocked "Whoa! No way! Really?" 

Donny looked up at Ranma a little annoyed. "Actually no. Business sucks. I get about 1 customer per week as usual and I'm still seeing Cindy from down the street. So what is it you wanted? Blades, bullets, guns, throwing star or what?"

Ranma shook his head. "Actually, I wanted information and I was hoping you could help me." 

Donny shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, I could help you I'm basically your sidekick now-a-days so why not?" Ranma's friend leaned on his elbows facing across the counter towards the dhampir, waiting for the question. 

"I need information on Toru Asahata, He's a big time Vampire lord." 

Donny held up his hands in a dismissing manner. "Whoa! Ranma buddy, you're not planning on going after this guy are you? You gotta be crazy to do that! He owns almost all of the Vampire hideouts and safe houses in China and Japan. You wouldn't be able to get near that guy!"

Ranma brightened up and leaned forward. "You know where he is don't you Donny?"

The long-haired man looked like a scolding parent now. "Hey! Ranma, didn't you listen to a single word I said? We're talking about the head honcho here! The big boss! The major bad guy! You wouldn't stand a chance against him!"

Ranma was beginning to look angry at his friend. "Where is he Donny? I need to KNOW!" 

The man sighed as he saw the look of determination in Ranma's eyes. "You really want this guy bad don't you?"

Ranma nodded his head in response as Donny sighed again, this time it was a big heavy sigh and handed Ranma a sheet he pulled out from under the cash register. "He's somewhere in Japan. I don't know where he lives exactly, but this map is to some of the main locations you'd most likely find him at. 

Ranma grabbed the sheet from his friend's hands. "Japan?" 

Donny nodded. "Yeah, Japan! Here I'll get my stuff packed."

Ranma grabbed Donny's arm "What do you mean packed? Where do you think your going?" 

Donny took his arm back and replied. "Look Ranma I'm your weapons supplier and best friend. I'm gonna go with you. I know Japan like the back of my hand inside and out and that alone will give you an edge on the vampires down there. Besides, it's not like my business or love life is going to suffer much while I'm gone, right? Do you want my help or not?" Ranma contemplated that for a minute before agreeing. 

By the time the sun was up they would be on a boat headed towards Japan.

***********

Back at Nieuchiezu, Dowel stood before the Council of Elders, still covered in dried blood as she finished with her story. 

["I see."] Said Cologne, who happened to be the head of the villages elders. ["So let me get this straight. Shin Yo, your husband was a vampire and he tried to turn you into one, but was stopped by a slayer in black , who killed all of the vampires, defeated you in combat, received the kiss of marriage, and ran away?"] 

Dowel nodded. That was it in a nutshell. ["Yes Elder, that is correct."]

The elders all whispered to each other of the dangers of the current situation to each other, while Dowel stood there looking on in confusion. ["What should I do, Elders?"] 

Cologne turned in her seat to face Dowel as did the other Elders. ["Simple child. Find your husband and bring him back to the village. The way you describe this Saotome Blade, he is sure to bring lots of strong blood into the tribe. But when you face him again you _must_ be prepared to fight off vampires. Perhaps you may be forced to become a vampire slayer yourself."]

Dao-ell stood before the Elders with a look of reluctance. Become a vampire slayer? Fight off vampires? What did she have to do to find her husband? She was about to turn and walk away but another question came to her mind. ["Elders, How will I track my husband? I am not a tracker. I am a warrior." Cologne held up her hand silencing the girl. ["I will accompany you. I need to evaluate this Saotome Blade for myself and see if he is truly worthy of our tribe and for my great-granddaughter."] 

Dowel, great-granddaughter to Cologne, head matriarch, and cousin to Shampoo, greatest warrior of her generation, nodded to the Elders and left the hut with her great-grandmother following her while hopping along on her wooden staff. Cologne was about two or three feet tall with gnarled, pruned, features, which made her look like a dried up old mummy. She wore a green robe and had silver hair that was longer than she was. 

Once out side the hut, Cologne and Dowel began to talk in less formal tones. 

["Xian Pu will be quite jealous of you great-granddaughter. You've already had two husbands and you are only two months younger than her.] 

Dowel smiled with pride. ["Yes well, even if the first husband was a vampire he was certainly good-looking. When she sees my new husband she'll have even more reason to be jealous."]

Cologne looked up at the sky with a far away expression on her face. ["Yes, well I used to catch the fancy of many good-looking young men back when I was your age. Some were a little less desirable than others, but other than the select few, I had amassed quite a lot of followers."]

Dowel looked down at the old prune that was bragging, and decided to speak without thinking. ["That's funny. I couldn't possibly even imagine any men following you around."] 

This comment got her a whack upside the head by a wooden staff. ["Watch what you say to your elders, young lady!"] Dowel rubbed her head in pain and smiled. ["I apologize great-grandmother Kuh Lon. I was not thinking."]

The two of them continued on with their walk until they reached a fairly large hut, which Dowel entered, but not her relative. She paused at the door and turned back to the elder. ["Thank you for talking with me great-grandmother. I look forward to traveling with you. When will we leave?"] 

Cologne patted the young girl on the leg and said "We'll leave tomorrow morning. I'll be getting you up early tomorrow so get a good nights sleep child. Oh and I certainly hope you'll take a bath and wash off that blood. You can't see your husband looking like THAT!" 

Dao-ell nodded and entered the hut fully closing the door behind her leaving Cologne outside by herself. ["Children these days. Always in a rush to grow up."]

She then left the area to go to her hut to retire for the night. 

{Someone of her age needs all the beauty sleep they can get and I mean ALL the sleep they can get. Ha, Ha *Smack* Ow! Sorry!}

**********

The next morning in the streets of the town that Ranma was staying at.

Donny and Ranma walked towards the docks at the waterfront. Ranma had an overly large traveling pack hanging over his right shoulder Donny had a smaller traveling pack with just some clothes and personal hygiene products. He also was dragging a case behind him full of important documents for his store and some other personally important objects. Donny was obviously struggling with his luggage where as the dhampir was treating his like a single bag of groceries. 

"You sure you don't need any help with that Donny?"

Donny was now sweating profusely. "No. I'm good! I could carry this crap for miles!" 

Ranma shrugged and kept walking at the same easy going pace. "Okay." 

The shorter man stopped looked up at Ranma and blinked for a few seconds. "Hey Blade! I was _being_ sarcastic!!"

The vampire hunter stopped and looked at Donny with a little bit of slight annoyance. "Well why didn't you say so? Geez, what's with you and sarcasm?"

Donny sat on the ground and leaned against his carrying case, looking just as annoyed with Ranma's attitude as he was with his sarcasm, if not more. "Well at least I'm not so serious about absolutely everything! Can't you at least loosen up a bit? Come on!" Ranma turned and continued walking towards their boat. Donny scrambled to get his stuff together and catch up.

"Hey wait up, come on we got lots of time, no need to rush. Hey! Don't speed up! Wait for me! Buddy!?! WAIT!" Donny caught up with Ranma in a few minutes panting and wheezing like a dog. "Ranma, can you please take some of this (wheeze) luggage off of my (pant) back?" 

Ranma smiled. "Nope."

Donny nearly facefaulted. "Come on, please? I'm asking nicely. Puh-lease?" 

"Noe."

The two of them continued to argue all the way to the dock. When they got there they looked at the boat they were going to riding on and nearly facefaulted at the sight of that Totally Worthless Piece Of Shit. Donny set his luggage down on the ground and slumped to the ground himself in exhaustion. "Oh good lord, please tell me were not going to Japan in that piece of crap!"

Ranma pulled out a map from his pocket and read from it after unfolding it. "Sorry Donny, but I'm afraid we ARE riding on that piece of crap."

Donny grabbed the paper from Ranma and looked at it himself. He looked up at the ship and then down at the paper, and then did another double take. "Aw Maaaan! I can't believe this! THIS is all that we could afford!?! We'll be fucking lucky to cast off without sinking!"

The boat in question was just as bad as they made it out to be, if not worse. It hardly even looked like a boat. It looked like it was made out of scrap metal and anything that could be bolted together. It looked like it was made from old cars and other wrecked boats. Other than that it seemed to be covered in one hundred percent rust. 

"Aaarrh. She be workin' allot better than she looks, lads!" 

"AAAAAAHH!" Donny screamed as he spun around to see who had spoke those words, only to lay eyes upon what appeared to be a pirate. He had a large bushy beard, a con-cob pipe a sea captains hat, a peg leg on his left leg, and a parrot on his shoulder, but the parrot looked as if it where dead because it wasn't moving. "Who the HELL are you!?!" screamed Donny in agitated surprise.

The Pirate looked slightly downcast at his mistake. "Aarrh. Sorry about that, lads. I be the Cap'n o' the FRH. That's the ship ye boys 'ave been complainin' aboot. I know it not be lookin' as pretty as them other ships but I have total confidence in 'er." 

Ranma, who had been keeping silent the whole time and trying not to laugh at the dead parrot on the pirate's should, stepped forward to shake the man's hand. "Hello sir, I am Ranma and this is my friend Donny. We are going to be the passengers aboard your ship, headed for Japan."

"Aaarh, it be a pleasure to meet ya, mister Ranma. I plan to make your stay aboard me ship as pleasant as possible." The captain said as he grabbed Ranma's hand into a firm shake. 

Ranma began to walk towards the ship known only as the F.R.H. with his bag slung over his shoulder. Donny groaned and started to drag his stuff along, trying to catch up with Ranma who was already halfway up the ramp that lead onto the ship with the captain just ahead of him. 

"So..." Ranma said to the Captain. "What exactly does FRH stand for Captain...?" 

"Stinky!" The captain replied. "Cap'n Stinky's the name. An' the boat's full name is the Faithful Rusty Heap. We mostly do living cargo. People were just a safe ride for a cheap price. It's not as bad on the inside as it is outside. In fact it=s actually quite clean.

"Somehow I just don't seem to be able to picture anything on this boat as clean." Said Donny as he finally reached the top of the deck and crumpled up in a heap on the ground while panting heavily. 

Stinky looked at him funny. And then said. "Aaarh lad, you look a mite tired from carryin' that thar luggage. Why don't ye let Stinky show ya to your cabin?"

Ranma smiled and helped Donny with his luggage as Captain Stinky lead the way to the cabin they would be staying at.

**********


	2. Trouble At Sea

The Saotome Blade

The Saotome Blade

Disclaimer: Blade isn't mine Ranma isn't mine either 

* *: Thoughts

[" "]: Chinese Language

" ": Vampire language 

Capital letters: Shouting or loud noises

{ }: Author's own thoughts

_ _: Stressed words

Chapter 2

Trouble At Sea

Ranma Saotome, known to the Vampire race as the Saotome Blade, Stared in awe at what was before him. Inside the FRH he had expected it to be just as dirty, rusty, and vermin infested as the outside, instead the inside was rather clean. In fact it was better than clean it was absolutely beautiful. First class in his point of view. 

"I feel like I've thrown into an episode of the twilight zone." Ranma's friend and confidant said as he too stared at the inside of the small ship, jaw agape. "I mean it's a nice surprise, but, _this_ is one Hell of a surprise. I never would have guessed!" 

Captain Stinky, the old Pirate with the dead parrot on his shoulder who had showed the two Vampire hunters onto the ship known as the Faithful Rusty Heap walked past the two teenagers into the ship with some of Donny's luggage that Ranma dropped in shock. "Aaarh. follow me fellows. I'll show you to your rooms. Since you're my only cargo this trip around I'll give you my two very best Rooms."

Donny perked up a little. "We get our own rooms?" The Captain dropped the luggage on the floor and pointed down a long, long, _Loooooonng_ hallway "Of course ya do Lads their at the very end of the hall."

Ranma and Donny sweat dropped as they stared down the Hallway that seemed to stretch for miles with door after door on either side. "Can we just have one of the rooms right here?" Ranma asked the Captain as he pointed on either side of him to the doors closest to them." 

The Captain frowned. "Eeer No Lad. These here rooms ye be pointin at are reserved for me n' me crew. Ye'll have to take the rooms farther down, lest ye be bunkin with Rico. He's not a very pleasant man t' talk ta." The captain passed the two teens again on his way out also giving his last words of advice for them. "Oh in fact, if I was you kids I'd just stay away from Rico. Very far away from Rico."

Donny suddenly remembered that this boat gave him the creeps and shivered, even though it was 24 degrees outside. "Hey Ranma? Is it all right if I bunk with you? This place has some seriously bad vibes." 

Ranma turned picked up his pack and began walking down the hall towards their final destination. "Hey Donn. Don't Worry. We'll be right across the hall from each other. There's nothing to be scared about."

Donny Jogged after his Dhampir friend. "Hey I'm not afraid of anything. I just was saying that this place gives me the creeps that's all." Ranma looked back over his shoulder. "It doesn't matter what you say Donn I can smell it on ya. You are _afraid_."

Ranma's human sidekick Donny frowned picked up his own luggage and continued walking with Ranma towards their rooms. Ranma smiling at his ability to embarrass his friend and Donny frowning at his inability to carry his luggage without the help of Ranma.

***********

(10 years ago)

Six year old Ranma is hiding behind a bush and is peering through it at an okinomiyaki cart on the road in front of him. he is holding his mouth shut to muffle the snickering that he couldn't suppress. Just then he heard a rustle in the bushes behind him and then a dark form burst out at him. the force of the form toppling him to the ground and the two small forms burst out rolling on the small dirt road.

The other young person who we can now see is Ukyo at age six pins Ranma's tiny form to the dirt road beneath them. "I _Got_ you Ranchan!" She said excitedly. 

Ranma struggled beneath Ukyo's grip but she had it to firm so he was not getting any leverage. "C'mon Ucchan," He whined "that wasn't fair! I wasn't ready!" 

Ukyo tightened her grip on Ranma's arms. "So?! Doesn't matter. I still _got_ you!" Ranma finally stopped his struggling and looked up at his best friend dejectedly. "Fine!" Ranma spat as if the very words them selves tasted more bitter than lemons.

Ukyo got up and started walking towards the Okinomiyaki cart. Ranma got into a crouching position and smiled an evil grin. Once the young Martial Artist was sure that his friends was unaware of what he was about to do, he pounced sending the both of them rolling across the ground again. "_Who's_ got Who now Ucchan?!!" Ranma yelled as he pinned her to the ground, turning the tables once again.

Ukyo struggled beneath Ranma. Just as he had not so long ago under her. "Hey no FAIR." She screamed. Ranma just laughed at her vain attempts at escape. "Ha Ha! Who's got who now Ucchan?"

Ukyo started to laugh with him and soon they were both rolling around on the ground laughing like...well, like little kids. The two of them got up and skipped to wards the okinomiyaki cart that Ukyo's Father was currently working at. She grabbed his pant leg and tugged on it to get his attention. "Daddy can me and Ranchan have some lunch now?" she asked. 

The fairly plump man in question looked down at the two children with pleading eyes and sighed. "Okay Ukyo I'll make you an okinomiyaki." Ukyo tugged at his pant leg again as he turned around to make her order. "Ranma too!" 

Once Ranma and Ukyo got their lunch they ran over to sit under a tree to eat. Ranma was done his in no time flat while Ukyo ate at, at least a normal pace. Ranma looked up at her after finishing his food. "Ucchan, Where's you're Dad? Isn't he gonna eat?" 

Ukyo turned her head away from Ranma and stuttered. "Uuh He's t-talking w-with your Pop." 

Ranma nodded in under standing and snitches a piece of Ukyo's lunch from her. Genma Saotome walked up to the two youngsters as they started to fight again. "Ranma," He said, stopping Their fight for food, "It's time to go."

Ranma looked up from his fun to see his father looking down at him at the time the sky was getting darker, clouds blocked out the sun and lightning flashed in the background making Genma seem like a villain. "Where we goin Pop?" Ranma said as he looked around at the quickly darkening sky. Genma was about to answer when a shadow seemed to form behind him as if it were alive then before Genma got half of his first words past his lips a blade pierced through him.

The shadow figure stepped forward so that the two children could see clearly who or what it was. It was a man with long brown hair tied back in a ponytail that flailed in the wind wildly, he wore all black, and he had a sheath on his back for the Katana that he was currently pulling out of Genma to put back in the sheath. He had a gleam in his red eyes that spoke of true evil, and a fanged smile to match.

Genma's limp form fell to the rain soaked ground with a splat, blood covering the earth around him. Ranma's anger flared and he jumped at the stranger meaning to deal his own damage to the man in Black.

The stranger gave a back handed slap to the young boy's face that sent him sprawling into the mud. "Stay out of my way _boy_!" Ranma picked himself up in pain. The stranger's slap was a hundred times harder than the strongest of all his fathers blows.

The stranger then stepped over the prone form of Genma and grabbed Ukyo by the throat. Her tiny hands instinctively grabbed the man's hands trying to pry them apart, to no avail. Ranma screamed. "NO NOT UCCHAN TO! LEAVE HER ALONE, or"

"Or what, child? you'll kill me? I hardly think you would ever be a half decent match for Toru Asahata." The man said Ranma sat down and began to cry. He knew real men didn't cry but he didn't care right now. "W-why a-are you (sniff) d-doing this?" he sobbed.

Toru shifted Ukyo around so that she was facing away from him, he bent her head to the side baring her neck. "The prophecy must be fulfilled. La Magra is coming and you are the _key_!" Toru then bared his fangs and bit down on Ukyo's neck.

*********** 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Ranma sat up fully awake and sweating profusely he looked around to see that he was in the cabin on the FRH. *That dream again. That's the third time I've had that dream this week. Ranma threw off the sheets then got up and walked over to where his clothes were. He picked up his trench coat and dug through the pockets until he came across a picture. He held it up to the dim light coming through the porthole at the side of the room. We can now see it is a picture of him and Ukyo when they were kids with their arms around each other. They had big smiles on their young faces. The picture was old and it showed.

Ranma sighs while he sits in the middle of the room on the floor looking at the picture. *I miss you so much Ucchan. I wish I knew where you where. 

Just then the door smashed inward. Ranma bolted upright to see eight dark figures rush into the room trying to catch him off guard. They nearly succeeded but Ranma had been training himself all his life to hunt vampires, so catching him off guard just wasn't a possibility.

Ranma leapt to action the moment the door was knocked off it's hinges, leaping back to the opposite side of the room to get a little bit of fighting distance. The eight figures were definitely vampires. Ranma could smell it on them, also the way they were baring their fangs and growling was a dead give away. 

The Dhampir sprang towards the group with lightning speed and stabbed one in the chest with a small silver knife that he had pulled out from his pants. The vampire screamed in pain before his body disintegrated into black dust. Ranma spun around and kicked another vampire into two others knocking all three of them down. He looked towards the other four at the door with a mocking smirk on his face. This angered the vampires enough to make them attack. Ranma jumped over the first ones head kicking another out of the door. 

The Vampire hunter then back flipped over the one he had previously jumped over and kicked him in the back of the head sending him sprawling towards his other downed companion. Ranma jumped backward towards the bed where his sword lie sheathed beside it. He took the covering off of the blade pointed it at the vampires that were still standing. "Now your all in serious trouble." 

The vampires getting up from the floor took one look at the skilled vampire exterminator and knew they didn't stand a chance. The one standing knew it to.

************

Ranma wasn't the only one with Vampire problems. Across the hall, Donny was being confronted by two other blood drinkers. They only had two because he was _just human_. It seems vampires can't ever presume right. Donny was working on the final file for moving his establishment to Nerima Japan when two vampires had kicked down the door and entered prepared for a little bit of a midnight snack. Donny, having been friends with The Saotome Blade for the last five years, and having once worked with vampires, Knew a little something on how vampires worked.

The blood drinkers set foot into the room cocky and overconfident. Which was a grave miscalculation. Donny leapt upright at the brash intrusion. "What's goin on here?" He said startled. One of the Vampire with Brown hair answered him while revealing his teeth in anticipation of the blood that the human contained in his body. "We have orders. And you have to die."

Donny, having stalled them long enough pulled out a single throwing star from his jacket pocket and hurls it at the vampire that had just been speaking haughtily to him. The shurikan shot through the air like a bullet and passed through the talking vampire as if he weren't even there. Donny gave a little victory pose while pulling out another Shurikan and gloated to the remaining vampire as the other shrivelled up and died.

"My speciality is shurikans, Vampire killing one-O-one taught by sensei Saotome. Wanna nother demonstration?" The vampire Snarled and tried to rush Donny but that was about the time that a Shurikan passed through his throat. He didn't even have a chance to scream as he disintegrated into black ash.

Donny ran towards Ranma's room and just as he was about to pass through the doorframe which was missing a door, a vampire came flying towards him. "_Geez_" Donny cried as he ducked out of the way of the vampire as it shrivelled up and collided with the outside wall exploding in a shower of dark powder. 

Donny looked up to see Ranma beating the hell out of the last vampire with his bare fists. The vampires shoulders were stapled into the floor with two of Blades Silver stakes. After Ranma was finished bloodying his face he grabbed the vampire by the throat and stared at him enraged. "Who set you up to this?" The vampire looked up at the vampire slayer in defiance. "_FUCK_ You!" Ranma picked up another stake and held it in front of the vampires face "No _you_ fuck _this_!" He said as he slammed it into his hand holding it to the floor. 

The vampire screamed in agony and breathed heavily trying to mentally block out the pain. Ranma held up another spike to his face. "I'm gonna ask you one more time. "_Who_ set you up to this?" The vampire didn't retort instead he just reared back his head and spit in Ranma's face. The Saotome Blade didn't hesitate as he thrust the silver spike into the Vampires right eye. 

Ranma walked over to the bed and opened up the bag that was lying beside it. He opened it up and took out his fighting clothes. These consisted of a bullet-proof vest and several straps and holsters for the guns and Blades that would soon be occupying them. Ranma rushed out of the room into the hall followed by Donny who moved at a much slower pace. "Where are we goin Blade?" Ranma slowed down. "The ships not moving. It hasn't been for quite a while. Now we got Vampires attacking us in the middle of the night. Something's up and I intend to find out." 

Ranma and Donny came to the end of the narrow corridor to a large door with fancy sculptures carved into it. Donny examined the intricate designs that adorned the large wooden door. "This is the captains room."

"Seems a little fancy for the Captains Quarters. Don't you think?" Donny nodded his head as he studied the structure some more. "Definitely! In fact you don't see doors like this on most boats." Ranma pointed to the top Right side of the door. "Look there." Donny looked up at where Ranma pointed. 

Donny stood up to examine the mark Ranma had pointed at more thoroughly. "Well it looks like old Stinky is in Cahoots with a Vampire. And not just any Vampire. Our pal here is helpin out your old pal Toru."

The Saotome Blade's eyes flashed red with hate for his Long time enemy. "Toru." Ranma took out his sword from it's sheath and sliced the door in half and nearly Donny too. "_Geez_ Ranma watch what you're doing. I mean I know your mad at Toru but... hey are you listening to me?" 

Ranma walked past Donny into the room that he had just unlocked the traditional Saotome style. He ignored his best friends talking and strolled in. He looked around the room for the captain and spotted him in the oversized bed at the other end of the room. Donny walked up beside Ranma and thrust his hands out towards the agitated vampire hunters face in a warding gesture.

"Whoa there big guy you don't know if he really works for Toru yet. I mean, he could be his slave or something." Ranma's eyes looked cold and dead. He seemed to stare right through Donny. "Anyone who associates with vampires deserves to die." Ranma tried to advance towards Toru's minion but Donny didn't move out of his way. "He _Hey_ HEY! Buddy think about that for a second. I used to work with Vampires. I have the mark to prove it. But I'm not all bad I just didn't have a choice." 

Ranma stopped. Donny took hold of his friends shoulders and lead him to the other side of the room. "Ranma come on. We don't have to go around killing everyone that works for vampires. Most of them would at least talk it out. So lets just wake...

"Wake up and smell the coffee boys yer not leavin this ship. Ain't that right Rico?" Ranma spun around to face a hulking goliath looming in the darkness. It swatted Donny to one side with one hulking arm before he could get a shurikan ready. Donny fell to the floor unconscious. It then wrapped it's hands around Ranma's waist, pinning his arms to his sides. Ranma struggled to break free but even his enhanced vampire strength was nothing compared to the powerful being behind him. The captain walked forward close to Ranma, his face just mere inches away.

At's no use Saotome, Rico is the strongest vampire in all of China. Trying to break free of his grip is like trying to make world peace. It'll never happen. Ranma glared at the captain of the F.R.H. menacingly. Ah Well Obviously you're _not_ a slave now _are_ you _Captain_?! 

I've got a pretty sweet deal young man. I do some work for the vampires; I get to keep my humanity. I also have protection and very high wages. Said Stinky as he stepped back from the contained Dhampir.

I'll bet Stinky's not even your real name is it?

Ay _Name_ is none of your concern young man. Your only job is to stay _here_ in China. Ranma looked at the Captain in puzzlement. Stay in China? Why? The Captain walked back to his bed sat down and took a swig from a nearby whisky bottle. 

That too is none of you're business boy. It's all part of Toru's master plan. Lock em up Rico! Ranma was about to push further to find out about this master plan but before he could get a word out a blow to the back of his head knocked him into unconsciousness.

********

Dowel and Cologne walked through the streets of one of the nearby villages close to the docks. Dowel held two large backpacks, one over each shoulder. She was panting heavily and sweat was almost literally pouring off her. Cologne just bounced along beside her on her cane. 

Dowel dropped to her knees in the middle of the dirt road they where walking on with a heavy sigh. The Packs fell from her shoulders onto either side of her. [Great-Grandmother why must I carry both my and your packs all the way to the boat? I'm not as strong as Shampoo!] She whined.

Cologne stopped in her track just a few feet away from where Dowel was resting. AA true amazon will get the job done no matter how hard it may seem! Persistence is the key to success! The withered old hag replied with chagrin.

The Long Green haired beauty Groaned exasperated. [Great-Grandmother can you please stop using Japanese?! I can only understand a few words! And I can barely speak them!] Dowels whiney words angered the Matriarch of Joketsuzoku. She hopped off of her staff to land right in front of Her great Grand-Daughter. 

[@How many times must I tell you this before you get it through your thick skull girl? We are travelling to _Japan_ so you must learn _Japanese_! We only have a few weeks before we get there so you will only speak to me in _Japanese_! And I You! Do You _understand_?!] 

Dowel withered under the gaze of the old woman. But still replied [I understand _Now_ but before you were talking in Japanese. I hadn't a clue what you were saying.] Cologne turned away with a look of defeat {well not quite _Defeat_} and continued towards the docks.

Cologne called back to Dowel without looking back. Pick up our bags and hurry up or well miss our boat.

Dowel picked up the bags and struggled with the weight to catch up to Cologne. [W-What did you say Great-Grandmother?! Wait, Wait! don't go so fast!]

********

Ranma stood before Toru Asahata The Vampire stared down at Ranma with cold black eyes that seemed to pierce his very soul. Toru smirked and began to laugh psychotically. Ranma tried to lunge at the inhuman monster before him but found himself unable to. When he looked down at his fists he saw that he was shackled to a wall. He looked up at Toru who had stopped his insane laughter and was now leaning down towards the restrained vampire slayer.

Ranma pulled at the restraints knowing that his strength was that of a vampire but he found himself extremely weak. He could barely budge. Toru's lips where mere inches away from his ear. 

Your blood is _mine_ Dhampir! Toru whispered. His voice was unearthly and it seemed to echo inside Ranma's head like a ghost. Or a spirit.

When Ranma looked down to the floor there was blood pooling at his feet. _Lots_ of blood! _HIS_ blood!! When Ranma's gaze raised to look at Toru again he was standing in the middle of the room on a platform. Ranma watched as he chanted something in the ancient language of the vampires. Red aura seemed to swirl around the room gaining in speed and force. 

The Blood Pooled at Ranma's feet began to move as if it had a life of it's own towards the podium, which The Vampire lord stood upon. Ranma wanted desperately to jump up and kill the monstrosity that had murdered his father. He wanted to scream but he did not even have the strength to do that.

Ranma's blood circled around Toru's feet and the aura began to contract into a smaller circle. When it reached the blood the aura got blood red as it sucked up the blood and began to take form as a winged demon when all the blood was absorbed. It flew into the air above Toru, paused and then dived right into Toru's chest.

The winged demon seemed to be absorbed into Toru's body. But Toru was clutching his chest as if in severe pain. Ranma almost smiled at this. But Toru's pain seemed to abruptly stop, and when he stood straight up Ranma froze in terror at what he saw. Toru's eyes glowed bright red and Ranma knew in an instant that these were the eyes of pure evil. Toru stared at Ranma for a second and then all of a sudden it was upon him. It was as if he were possessed by Satan himself. His every ability was increased a hundred fold.

The being that was once Toru Asahata the Vampire lord of Japan grabbed Ranma by his throat and ripped him from his shackles with such ease. It was as if he was doing it unconsciously. It pulled Ranma down close to his face bare inches and whispered with such menace that Ranma almost thought that he wouldn't live through this experience. 

I'm coming for _you_!! Toru growled these words maliciously with promises of pain and suffering clearly shown through the tone. It's eyes bore through him as if they were a weapon all their own. It's voice sounded as if it came from the very depths of hell.

The images before Ranma became distorted and they began to alter. Ranma was able to feel again and he thrust out his hand grabbing the neck of his enemy. Felling his strength return Ranma stood up and reached for his sword but it was not there. The blurred images came back into focus and Donny's face replaced that of Toru's.

********* 

Somewhere in Japan.....

In a large office on about the thirty first floor twelve people sat around a large black table. All of the men ranged from all different races found amongst the world. They all wore black suits and had one thing in common; They were all pure blood vampires. 

At the head of the long rectangular table sat Toru Asahata. One of the others spoke up above the silence. Asahata why have you called us here?

Toru took a deep intake of breath then looked at the vampire with a smile. I have called us all here Dragonetti to discuss the future plans of the vampire race.

Lemure a balding old Vampire with strange tattoos drawn on his head spoke next. What plans Toru? The vampire race has no future plans. We live in the present and to live in the present we must fit in with the humans. There are no _plans_!!

Toru stood up out of his seat. Au contraire Lemure The Vampire race does so have a future plan. _The_ future plan. As prophesied in the book of Erebus! {Vampire Bible}

Draggonetti stood abruptly from his own seat. _Asahata_!! What are you talking about? The book is nothing but fairy tails to scare little girls! It...@

Toru chose that moment to cut him off. Dragonetti I believe it's true. The book of Erebus states this, The spirits of the twelve shall awaken the blood god. Does that sound like a fairy tail? _No_ it doesn't!! And recent evidence from my archaeological teams have proven this statement to be 100% true. La Magra is coming and there's nothing anyone can do about it! _NOW_......I need twelve volunteers.

***********

{Well that's the second chapter I hope you liked reading it as much as I did writing it. I really plan on elaborating on La Magra. And Ranma's family. I would gladly take any and all Fan Art. I want C&C's I love em good or bad. WHEEEEE!!


	3. Rough Seas and Broken Boats

The Saotome Blade

The Saotome Blade

Disclaimer: I would never have thought of anything as amazing as Blade, or Ranma 1/2

* *: Thoughts

[" "]: Chinese Language

" ": Vampire language 

Capital letters: Shouting or loud noises

{ }: Author's own thoughts

_ _: Stressed words

Chapter 3

Rough Seas And Broken Boats

Toru Asahata, leader of the house of Erebus Vampire council of Japan walked down a dark corridor. Two of his main subordinates walked with him at his sides. One of them looked up at the tall form of Toru after taking a long drag of a cigarette. "So you finally gonna get them to awaken the blood god huh? It's about fucking time." He took another drag from his cigarette. "It took a hell of a lot to get the American council to agree with _me_. I thought it would take a helluva lot more for the Japanese, what with all the kung fu and every thing."

Toru looked down at his apprentice with distaste. "You have much to learn about Frost. You may have a fraction of the Blood God's power but you are still mortal. Don't let the power go to your head." 

Deacon Frost remained calm even under Toru's gaze. "Yeah well a half breed vampire almost got the best of me. I ever tell you about it? Anyway there was this guy Blade, right? And this guy he's got like all these swords and everything. Man he gave me a run for my money."

Toru put his hand on Deacons shoulder to silence him. "There are still those that wish to end the Vampire race. We can not rush into the matter of the blood god. We must do so carefully." Deacon threw his finished butt onto the cool concrete floor.

"Yeah whatever. So how long we gotta wait till the blood god comes?" Toru and his lackeys stopped at a large metal door Where Toru produced a key card and opened it. "Soon."

The three vampires stepped into a large room filled with lots of high tech computer technology. In the middle of the room sat a man he was almost totally surrounded by computer monitors, wires, and keyboards. "You remember my translator, and technical advisor Ishita, don't you Frost?" Asked Toru. Frost nodded his head towards the man in question. 

"Yeah I remember. How you doin Shit'a?" {pronounced: Shit ah} Deacon said to the tall African American. Tetsuo Ishita wore a white muscle shirt and blue jeans. He was tall but lacked muscle. His clothes were baggy and his work station was scattered all over the room.

Tetsuo turned around in his chair and grabbed Deacons hand in a friendly hand shake. "Hey Deac long time no see!" 

"Yeah man." said Deacon. "Notice anything different?" He said as he stepped back to let his friend get a better look. 

Tetsuo looked him over once and then shook his head.

"Nope. Don't see nothin there." 

Deacon looked at Tetsuo with mock upset. "You can't tell? Man I'm the first step of the coming of the blood god!" Tetsuo's eyes widened at Deacons statement. 

"You've got to be kidding me Deac I mean Toru's got that in planning for years but it's way to early to act now! What are you crazy?" Tetsuo said.

Toru chose that moment to cut in on their conversation. "Frost! Ishida! We don't have time for pleasantries I have work to do and I don't need this kind off interruption. Now Ishida bring up the La Magra file and let's go through this to make sure we've got the plan straight.

************

Donny was the first to wake up. He immediately noticed that he was shackled to the wall. He looked over to his right and sure enough there was Ranma Saotome shackled beside him. Ranma was thrashing wildly in his unconscious state. Donny, having just enough slack on his chains, moved over to Ranma's side and began shaking him trying to get him to wake up. 

"Ranma! Wake up buddy, we gotta get out of here." 

Donny's attempts at reviving his partner were apparently futile. Ranma began to thrash even harder and broke off the restraints. Donny was about to move out of the way but Ranma's hands swung around with lightning speed to wrap around Donny's throat. 

Donny struggled against the pressure of Ranma's grip. Ranma's eyes opened and they were filled with hate and fear at the same time. Ranma took one solid look at Donny and his arms fell limp at his sides. "D-Donny?"

Donny sat back a few feet from Ranma. "Who'd you think I was? _cough_ _cough_ Jackie Chan?"He said with mild annoyance. "What were you all freakin out about?"

Ranma slumped against the wall behind him and sighed. "Donn man, I've been getting these dreams all the time. It usually starts off with me and my friend playing outside then it turns into Toru killing my father." Ranma paused and reluctantly continued. "But this time it was different. This time there was some kind of alter that Toru stood upon. He said that 'My Blood is his' and I have no clue what it meant."

"Yeah well, our first concern is getting out of this cell." Ranma looked around and they were indeed in a holding cell of some sort. Ranma walked over to the single window in the room it was barred. He looked over his shoulder at Donny. "

"They didn't seem to take into consideration that I have vampire strength." Ranma said just before he grabbed the bars. As soon as his skin made contact with the bars about one thousand volts of electricity ran through his body. Ranma's body was sent flying across the room where it impacted hard with a solid steel wall with a sickening CRUNCH!

Ranma sat up and shook his head to get rid of the ringing and the floating duckies. Donny laughed. "Hah I guess they did take it into consideration." Ranma's hair was smoking and standing up on end. 

Ranma frowned. "Well this could take a little more effort than I thought." He said as he rubbed his chin in a thoughtful expression.

Donny rattled his chains to get Ranma's attention. "Yeah well I could help you better if you get these chains off of me. I don't exactly got super strength like some people."

Ranma got up off of the floor, albeit painfully, and walked over to Donny who held out his shackles for Ranma to break. Ranma grabbed both of the chains one in each hand and pulled. He wasn't completely a vampire so his vampire strength only goes so far. And Ranma was pretty exhausted after breaking his chains and then being electrocuted. The chains snapped after a few minutes of constant straining and Ranma collapsed on the floor.

Donny crouched over Ranma's figure and gave him the one over. "Hey buddy you look pretty tired. Take a breather while I think of something to get us out of here."

The Dhampir nodded his agreement to his friend. "Yeah you do that." Ranma's body chose that moment to recuperate and he passed out.

**********

(Somewhere in Japan)

an old man wearing heavily concealing clothes stood at the edge of the water on a beach. Looking out into the dark waters that lay before his ancient eyes. His gazed wandered to the left where far off down the beach he could see his deciples Alex and Joe sitting quietly. Although this was not normal especially since Joe was there it was pleasant and a welcome change to their hectic lives.

He stared back out into the water far beyond the horizon. Extending his magical senses he could feel chaotic forces approaching. He waited and he would continue to wait close by to avert this chaos. He felt a power arising in Japan. If he did not stop it then he did not know if there was another that could.

Although his mystical senses were clouded by darkness and chaos he could see a light. A power that could very well be the hope that people would need. Or maybe their saviour.

Ekimus turned and pulled the hood from his head displaying his features for all to see. Though there was nobody on the beach but his students. We can clearly see that he is not human but rather a vampire, and not just a vampire but a perfect vampire. "Alex, Joe! We must find rest for the day. The sun shall rise soon and we must prepare for what is ahead of us."

Ekimus walked off the beach and up a hill to an old abandoned shack at the top where they would rest until the sun sets again. Alex and Joe walked at a normal pace behind the old vampire. "Why are you so quiet today Joe?" asked Alex.

Joe stared off at sea and replied simply. "I... just don't think it's a good time to be goofing off." The two vampires continued their short trek in silence.

***********

Dowel sat at the end of the boat that she and her great grandmother Cologne were on. She hated boats. There was no room to practice martial arts, they were all slow, and it took a long time to get anywhere in a boat. That and she got sea sick very easily.

So here she was hanging over the rail throwing up every five to ten minutes. ["Oooh Great Grandmother do you have medicine yet?!"] She whined back to where Cologne was sitting and stirring up some sort of herbal concoction. The smell of the stuff alone made Dowel want to throw up some more.

Cologne ignored her and continued stirring the putrid healing gunk. Dowel groaned in defeat and annoyance. ["Fine!"] She then began to speak in extremely bad Japanese. "Cologne…You is…to be…done now… yes?" She asked.

Cologne understood what she said but decided to push her to do better after all in a few days time they would be in Japan and she would need to speak the language better that that. ["Better. But not good enough. Try again."] she said without emotion.

Dowel groaned again but even louder than before. ["Great Grandmother I can't do it! It's too hard!"] She complained as she slumped against the rail that she had previously been throwing up over.

Cologne pushed her on to try again and Dowel complied although somewhat reluctantly. "Great Grandmother is med…icine ready?"

Cologne nodded with satisfaction. ["Very good child you almost had it perfectly. And yes the medicine is just about ready."] Dowel sighed. 

[*well at least I am getting better at this language. Saotome Blade and I will be married in no time.*]

***********

Ranma woke again and looked around. Donny wasn't anywhere to be seen in the room. Ranma got up and looked in every corner and crevice that he could see in the small electric prison. "Donny?!...Donny where are you?! A creak was heard and Ranma spun around in a ready stance to see what the sound was. A man in a cloak that reeked of Vampires walked into the small room with a ring of keys dangling from his belt. His features where hidden by the dark hood over his head.

"Who are you!" Ranma demanded the stranger. The stranger closed the sound proof steel door behind him and then took off the hood. Ranma's jaw dropped. "Donny?!"

Donny waved his hands around in a quieting gesture. "SSSHHH Keep it down will ya?!" Donny said with irritation. "There's vampires all over this place. It was hard enough to get these keys here without being caught."

Ranma slapped Donny on the back. "Good job man! How'd you pull it off?" Donny smiled.

"Well I picked the lock, snuck through the shadows, killed a couple vampires, opened all of the right doors after traveling through mazes of corridors, and disarmed all of the alarm systems." Donny said with a proud smirk.

Ranma stood dumbfounded at Donny's display of skill and intelligence. "Woah you really did all _that_?

Donny's proud features twisted into a 'what are you _kidding_' type of looks that he was so fond of handing out. "_Hell_ no! I kicked the guard in the nuts when he came to give us our meal for the day and took his clothes and the keys on his belt. I killed him with a fork and hid him in a janitors closet, and all of the doors I needed to go through to get our stuff were all labeled. And have you even taken notice of what a hunk of crap this boat is? There couldn't possibly be security systems!

Ranma felt like smacking Donny... again. "What do you mean our stuff?" The proud smile plastered Donnys face again as he took out a bundle of cloth from under the cloak he was wearing. He unwrapped it and sure enough there was an assortment of guns, blades, and other such objects hidden beneath it. "All right Donny!" Ranma picked up his trademark blade and looked at it like a long lost family member.

Donny took out a silver shurikan from a pouch that hung on his belt. "So what do you say we commandeer this rusty heap of shit and get out of here?" 

Ranma took his bullet proof black vest from the pile. "You don't gotta ask me twice."

***********

(Up top on the deck.)

Captain Stinky sat in a chair looking up at the stars it was a clear night and the air was warm. Stinky sighed as he smoked a cigar and drank fine wine from a crystal wineglass. "Aaaah." he sighed afer he took a long drag from his Cuban cigar but the coughing that came right after took away the blissful effect. One of the crew members walked over to Stinky.

"Hey Stinky shouldn't you be commanding this ship?! Or are you just going to sit on your ass and wait for Toru to come and pat you on the back?!" He said while baring teeth that showed off the fact that he was indeed a vampire. 

Captain stinky looked back at the youth with an amused smirk on his rough features. 

"I believe I'll take the second option young man." He said losing the raggedy sea captain accent that he had previously been using. "Oh and why don't you go check on the security cameras there _boy_. They haven't been looked at in a while." The Vampire youth who was in his teens. Growled a low menacing growl promising pain to the old man. "Oh and one more thing there." He said as the youth began to turn away. 

"What's _that_ old man?!" He said with impatient irritation. 

The old man took another drag form his cigar. "Respect your Elders. Punk!

The teenage vampire turned away in a huff and stalked off to go check on the single security camera monitor that was set up to view the cell where Ranma was being held. He muttered to himself angrily as he stomped through the door leading to his destination. "stupid old man!I could have pulled off this mission better anyway. Tell me what to do will he? Huh! Respect your Elders he says."

His mutterings stopped as he came to the single screen that was used to monitor the cell in witch the Saotome Blade was being held, the cell that was empty according to the image on screen. "_TROUBLE_!" He screamed out to all of the other vampires on the ship using a microphone that carried his voice throughout the entire ship.

***********

Ranma and Donny heard the Vampires distressed warning. They looked around the room they were in which seemed to be a dining room of some sort. "Sound like they finally realised that were not in our cell." Donny said as he and his half vampire friend stalked through the room in silence. 

"Guess so." Ranma replied as he unsheathed his sword slow and quietly from his back. Donny noticed this action and pulled our four shurikans as well. 

"You hear something buddy?" Donny asked in a hushed voice as they stood still in the middle of the room. Ranma nodded. He slowly and silently crouched into a fighting position. Donny followed suit. 

"Yeah." He said cautiously as he used his heightened senses to locate where the enemies were located. "Coming down the hall about 12 metres. Six vampires. Three humans. All of them have weapons. "

Donny strained to hear what Ranma was hearing to but his senses and martial arts training were not near as advanced as the Dhampir beside him. "Why don't we wait for them to pass and then we could get some better fighting room?" Ranma smirked at his only friend.

"You know me. That's not my style." He said before dashing towards the door.

**********`

Captain Stinky rushed into the room where he had just sent the young vampire to check on The Soatome Blade. "What the _hell_ is going on?! What do you mean trouble?! He bellowed at the youth. 

"The Saotome Blade is out! H-he's not in his cell and neither is his human companion!" 

Stinky pulled the teen by the front of his shirt so their faces mere inches from each other. "Well then you take some of you vampire friends and you put him _back_ there or we're all _dead_! do you understand me?!!!" He said in a low menacing voice. 

The vampire shook his head not caring any more that he was taking orders from a human. He knew that he was right. He knew that if they didn't capture Ranma and put him and his friend back in his cell that he would kill every one on the ship and head for Japan.

Stinky threw the the young vampire away from him and he immediately ran out to get some more men to search for Ranma. He took the first few people he saw not caring if they were Vampires or familiars. To go hunt the enemy.

**********`

Captain Stinky stayed behind and in the observations deck and he picked up a phone. He dialed in a number. He waited a few second. "Hello? Yes this is Dhampir cross prevention. Get me Toru. It's an Emergency."

**********`

The small platoon of vampires and familiars stalked the corridors of the ship searching for the escaped prisoner. It was like trying to find a ghost. Ranma was nowhere to be seen or heard. The halls were deathly quiet. One of the vampires perked up as if he heard something. All of the others present looked to him for some sort of sign that he'd heard Ranma but he shook his head and the pack continued on searching. 

One of the familiars took out his weapon, a gun, and loaded it with a fresh cartridge. All the others looked at him in irritation but they forgot about it and continued on. All of the others had weapons and were doing similar things shifting and fidgeting with the tools of battle in nervousness.

All of a sudden the door to one of the rooms that the group was about to pass burst open in a shower of wooden splinters. And a black blur rushed past and sliced the heads of two vampires at the front of the group off. All the others stepped back and stared in horror as Ranma Saotome The most well known vampire hunter in China. Stood with one double edged sword held above his head in a ready stance. He smiled at the group and before any of them could get a single word out he jumped high towards the group. 

The group awaited the attack. But Ranma grabbed a hold of the rafters and stayed there. Two vampires raised their projectile weapons and aimed to fire but their attack was cut short by two silver throwing stars lodging themselves into their chests and they shrivelled up into vampiric piles of ash.

Immediately after the attack Ranma dropped down with his sword slashing. At one vampire cutting it from the base of his neck to the opposite side waist. Cutting also through the heart turning the vampire again into a lifeless pile of dust. 

Donny walked out of the room that his Dhampir friend had previously smashed trough with two shurikans, one in each hand. Ranma finished up cutting the last Vampires head off.

Ranma sheathed his sword with lightning fast speed the sign of a true martial arts master. Then with same speed and precision pulled out a black, custom made, semi automatic hand gun and aimed it at the remaining humans. "Anyone else want to be a hero?" He said with a smirk on his handsome face. All of the familiars before the Dhampir dropped their weapons and put their arms in the air.

Donny put his shurikans back in his pouch and walked up to his friends side. "Nice moves 'Slice'. And that last bit of dialogue there? _Whew_! I think we've got our selves a _catch phrase_ ladies and gentlemen." He said as he patted Ranma on the back.

************

Toru sat at his desk in his large 48th floor office staring at a speaker phone. "I see." He said with a cool calm that belied what he was feeling. In truth he was upset. No! He was furious! He had been planning the blood gods coming for years now and the Dhampirs of the world were the keys. Toru shut off the speaker phone. Once this small task was made he slammed his fist onto his desk with all of his force behind him, cracking the smooth black marble surface under the power of one of his blows. "_DAMN_!!!" He yelled. 

Toru breathed in and out heavily from his not in displeasure. *Why can I not get one person to do a job right for me?* He thought as he plotted out what to do about this little _problem_. Toru sat in silence in the darkness then he pressed a button on the intercom on his desk.

"Joy?" He called into the machine.

"Yes mister Asahata?" Came a bubbly voice from the other end of the intercom. 

"Joy, would you find and send a mister Kobejitsu into my office?" He asked in a strictly businessman type of voice.

"Sure thing Mr. A." She said in the same sweet and bubbly voice. Toru Asahata groaned. He hated listening to her voice it was nauseatingly cute and he hated that to no end. The only reason she still had her job was because of her fantastic body.

Toru shook his head to get rid of any unclean thoughts that might be trying to get into his head. He sat back and devised a little bit of a plan. *Well I guess I'll just let Ranma come to Japan. I can replace him.* He thought. No sooner had he finished the thought there was a knock on the large Black double doors. "Come in!" Toru called.

A large man who looked to be around his forties walked into the room. He had a large goatee that twisted like a spiral, He was bald with tattooed markings and a dark gaze that made him look very menacing. He wore a black business suit that was nearly spotless. "You summoned me Lord?" The man asked in a deep voice that would make an ordinary man take a step back just in case.

"Yes Satoshi I have a job for you. Now since your in charge of all our military expenses I believe this would be just the job for you. Considering your military history." Toru said as he motioned for the man to have a seat. Kobejitsu did so seating himself across from Toru. "Thank you Sir."

Toru waved it off. "Please." Toru folded his hands in front of himself and leaned on his elbows. "Now you are familiar with the plans to awaken the blood god correct?" Kobejitsu nodded.

"Yes sir I am quite familiar with your plans and the history of La Magra." Satoshi said.

"Yes anyway I want you to keep a close eye on a one Ranma Saotome. He's headed to Japan right now and I want to make sure he doesn't interfere. I've also been informed of a little nuisance down in Thailand. There's a group of Vampires called the blood pack. They are a troublesome group and I want them all taken out. Do you understand?" Toru said as he leaned back in his chair with his arms folded behind his head.

Kobejitsu nodded his affirmative. Toru stood up and offered his hand in a friendly parting shake. Satoshi stood, took his hand in a firm shake turned around and left the office. Toru sat back down and put his feet up on the desk in relaxation. "Yes. You can never be to careful with these sorts of things."

"Where Hitler failed I shall succeed. The perfect race will be created and I will rule over them. Heh heh heh heh ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa HA HA HA HA HAAAA!!!!" Toru's insane laughter continued to trail on into the night.

************

Ranma and Donny stalked down the hallway careful not to make any noise. Ranma looked left then right at the next intersection. "Hey Donn? How big is this boat any way? It seems to be three time the size on the _inside_ than the outside." Donny shrugged behind his friend not that he could see it with his back turned. 

"I don't know but it's got to have some kind of magical properties to it. I've never seen anything like it before in my life." Donny replied in shushed voice careful not to attract any unwanted attention to their position.

Ranma motioned for Donny to follow him and they turned to the right in search of some place that would lead them to the controls to the ship. They soon got to the next intersection. Ranma looked to the left for any sign of danger. He looked to the right.

WHAM!!!!

Ranma was sent flying down the corridor from a blow from Rico. The vampire giant had waited at the intersection for them and had backhanded the Dhampir as soon as he had a good shot. Ranma rolled with the blow and got to his feet with his sword unsheathed and at the ready. He just saw the goliath of the undead give Donny a blow to the gut sending down another corridor. 

Rico turned to Ranma and pointed one of his massive digits in his direction. "Your ass is mine Meat!" He said in a deep voice that suggested that he was more than a vampire. Ranma smiled a cocky confidant smile that he seemed to always have on his face when he was in the midst of battle.

"Well if it isn't the Jolly Green Giant! How's it going ugly? Why don't I send you for a nap? You look like you could use a hell of a lot of beauty rest." Ranma said as he unsheathed his other sword and stood ready for the monster. 

Rico screamed an earth shaking roar that shook the walls and threatened to take them down. Ranma knew he didn't have a chance in the hallway. Rico nearly filled out the entire area. There was no room to fight with even half of his full potential. The taunt was Ranma's way of getting Rico to follow him to a more spacious fighting ground.

Ranma ran away from the hulking brute. Who followed him in a blind idiotic rage. "Come BACK here puny MAN!! I will CRUSH your bones and use them to pick food from my TEETH!!" Ranma turned around to taunt the giant man some more as he ran. "Yeah only if you could catch me yah lumbering HUNK-o-CRAP!!"

This worked and it agitated Rico even more. The goliath that was Rico was completely blind with rage. His vampiric fangs were beared and he was smashing anything that got in his way. He was nothing more than an animal now.

Ranma ran and eventually found just what he was looking for. The label on the top of the door read "GYM". Ranma rushed in there slammed the doors and got some room between himself and the door. As soon as Ranma was across the room Rico slammed through the doors like a bulldozer possessed by a demon sending splinters and shards of wood flying all over the room. Ranma had his swords out and ready.

"GGRRAAAAAAAAAGGGHH!!!"

Rico charged the young Dhampi like a rampaging rhinoceros. Rico was upon him soon and just at the last second Ranma jumped flipping over the giant and landing behind him slashing to deep vertical gashes in the large Vampires back. Rico screamed out in pain and tried to backhand the vampire slayer but he ducked and then rolled under the second blow which smashed the floor where he had just been moments before.

Ranma slashed Rico once across the chest then again on his leg nearly severing the limb. The giant fell to the ground from the pain. Ranma was about to lob off the monsters head, when one of his monstrous fists slammed across his chest catching him off guard, and knocking him across the room where he slammed into barbell set back first. Both Ranma's swords were sent flying in either directions. 

"AAAAAAAGGGHH!!" Ranma screamed as he held his back in pain. HE tried to get up to finish Rico off. But the goliath was upon him like a ton of bricks. Pummeling him with massive fists that seemed to be made of solid steel. Ranma didn't know how much more of a beating he could take. Rico was an unrelenting force. Ranma tought about his departed father, killed by a vampire, his long lost friend Ucchan *probably doesn't even remember him.* his mother who he hadn't seen since he was very young and all of the vampires he had met on his journey.

All vampires were evil. All vampires were full of hate. All vampires were evil. All vampires were murderers. As Ranma thought these word they slowly became a mantra that he eventually began chanting out loud not noticing the red aura that surrounded his body. Swirling in a spiral at his feet as the anger that he held towards vampires built up until all he could think about was the anger.

Rico stopped his barrage of deadly force. As his victim began to glow. This got through to him and he began to back away from the Dhampir who began chanting a mantra that seemed to build his power up even more. Ranma continued his mantra until the aura was almost to bright to stare at directly. The Dhampir cupped his palms together and the aura seemed to all flow into a single sphere of energy in his hands. Rico decided to attack his prey before he could finish whatever it was that he was trying to do.

Ranma looked up at the monster that loomed above him. He threw out his arms in Toru's direction just as it seemed that the hul;k would succeed in stopping the half breed slayer. The ball of energy shot out in a steady stream of energy. It slammed into Rico's chest like a cannon it lifted the monster into the air slamming it through the ceiling and the ceiling after that until the goliath was thrown into the vast night sky and off into the distance. Ranma collapsed onto the ground in a heap after expending so much energy at once.

"W-What the hell did I just do?" He asked to no one in particular. As he limped towards his weapon of choice he began thinking of the feeling of using that energy that he had just discovered. Ranma, the man able to pick up martial arts techniques from watching them only once, decided that he would experiment with that certain technique later.

*I have to figure out how to do that again he said to himself as he picked up his sword and sheathed it then started heading towards the other one.

***********

Donny woke up with a major head ache. When rico had knocked him across the hall he had smashed his head into a wall and was knocked unconscious. Donny slowly got to his feet and searched around his immediate surroundings for any danger. All he saw was a path of destruction leading down the hall in the opposite dirrection that he came from. 

Donny couldn't hear any signs of battle in the distance though. Maybe Ranma finished that Rico guy off. He thought. Donny walked down the hallway following the trail of debris that had been caused by Rico's rampage. He made sure to pull out a few shurikans from his pouch just in case he ran into any unwanted _surprises_.

He thought about the size of Rico and the amount of destruction that surrounded him he was willing to bet that Ranma had quite the battle. The path turned into a large room full of exercise equipment. Aha. Just like Ranma to run away to get some fighting room. Donny did a quick scan of the totalled room and spotted his Dhampir friend limping on the other side of the room.

"Hey Ranma! Think your still up to killing vampires and taking over a ship?" Donny yelled across the room. Ranma looked up after retrieving his sword and sheathing it on his back to accompany the other one that already occupied it. 

"I don't know. Is there any left that haven't fled in terror of my presence?" Donny put on a thoughtful expression as he rubbed his chin. 

"Hmm. I think there might be a couple up topside. Want to go pay them a visit?" Donny asked in mock humour. 

Ranma didn't reply he just cocked his semi-automatic and nodded.

*************`

Captain Stinky loaded his harpoon gun and waited inside the control room on the top deck of the boat. He sat in the dark room looking in every which direction in paranoid fear. "That little punk better have caught Saotome by now. Toru won't be pleased." He mumbled. All of a sudden a burst of bright red energy shot forth from the hull of the ship with Rico in the midst of the blast.

The light illuminated the room that Stinky hid in and it continued on into the night sky until it fizzled out and died. Stinky decided that enough was enough. He didn't get paid enough to do this.

************`

Ranma and Donny ran up a flight of stairs that lead to the top deck. Donny's feet made steady thumps on the metal surface while Ranma's could barely be heard at all. When they came out into the fresh air the ship was silent not a sound was heard the only thing that was out of place was the giant gaping hole that sat in the centre of the ships metallic rusty surface. 

Donny nodded in the direction of the hole. "That uh must have been one hell of an uppercut you gave Paul Bunyan there. Eh?" Ranma looked at his best friend in genuine confusion. 

"_Who_?" Donny was about to explain to Ranma but decided against it. They had more important things to do at the moment. They took a few steps out on to the deck and…

SLAM!

Ranma was knocked back into the stairwell that they had just come from. Donny was taken by surprise as well as a vampire tackled him to the right of the door way. Donny knocked the vampire aside. He stood up pulling out four shurikans from his pouch looking around there seemed to be vampires pouring out of every single shadow of the FRH. "Ooooh SHIT!!" Donny cried as he looked back to Ranma was currently climbing back up the stairs after quickly dealing with his situation. "Looks like somebody called in the CAVALRY!"

*********`

{Well that's chapter three and it was a pretty long one considering how slow I am at writing. And Ranma has just developed his Chi. Although it's based on his hatred for vampires rather than confidence. Anyway now taking over this ship and heading to Japan may not be quite as easy as these two vampire hunters might have expected. What exactly is Toru planning? Where does this perfect vampire Ekimus come in? Who is this mysterious group of vampire rebels known as the Blood Pack? All this and more next week as The Saotome Blade continues.!!!}

Remember C&C's are more than welcome and ideas even more so. So send me something. I love e-mail and I love hearing what people think of my writing. And I will also be staring a Ranma 1/2 Wolverine crossover soon. Email me and tell me if you like this idea or I just might not do it.

Bye Everybody

Bye Dr. Night


	4. Surprise, Surprise!

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The Saotome Blade   
  


Disclaimer: They don't belong to me but Blade and Ranma are cool as hell.   
  


* *: Thoughts   
  


[" "]: Chinese Language   
  


" ": Ancient Vampire language   
  


Capital letters: Shouting or loud noises   
  


{ }: Author's own thoughts   
  


_ _: Stressed words   
  


Chapter 4   
  


Surprise, Surprise!   
  


Ranma rushed up the stairs leading to the top deck. Donny had just called down to him about the vampire ambush and the pigtailed boy was already injured from his earlier battle with Rico the Vampire giant. Donny was, at the moment, throwing ninja stars in every direction. Ranma leapt out of the door way onto the deck. He did a flip up onto one of the higher points over top of the deck where some vampires were sneaking up behind Donny to get a surprise attack. Ranma kicked one flying over the deck and stabbed a steel spike, that he had pulled from one of the straps on his legs, into another vampire's chest.   
  


Donny had hit the one that Ranma had sent flying with a shurikan and it shrivelled up into a cloud of black ash that scattered over the battle field. Some of the vampires off in the distance pulled out some weapons and started firing at Ranma and Donny. Ranma ran across the top of the boat dodging the bullets, Donny tried to get away but one of the bullets clipped him in the shoulder. As he slowed down another couple of bullets hit him in the leg and in the chest.   
  


"AAAAAGGGGHH!" Donny screamed out as he fell to the ground he was bleeding profusely from his wounds and the blood began to pool around his body. Some vampire ran towards Donny to finish him off by drinking his blood and turning him into one of them.   
  


"DONNY!!" Ranma yelled as he saw his best friend and confidant go down by the barrage of bullets. However the vampire firing squad was no longer aiming at the Saotome Blades fallen comrade. All gunfire was officially aimed at him.   
  


Ranma was pissed his friend was on the ground bleeding and it was all because of the vampires. Every time somebody got close to him, he felt, they were either injured of killed by vampires. Vampires were alive solely to make his life miserable. With this though he began to glow with a bright red aura. Ranma didn't notice but some of the vampires did. The ones that had been heading for Donny for a drink of fresh human blood now averted their undivided attentions towards the pigtailed vampire hunter.   
  


Ranma did the only thing he could think of doing while he was angry. He reached down to his sides and pulled from their holsters two black, custom, semi-automatic hand guns and started shooting down the vampires on the boat one by one with pinpoint precision. The hail of silver tipped bullets rained in the crowd of vampires life deaths touch. Vampires were dropping left and right like flies as they tried to either shoot back or rush him and get close.   
  


Some of the vampires tried to sneak around behind but Ranma was to damn angry and skilled to let them get the drop on him. His gun wielding arms swung around in a blur and came face to face with a large number of vampires. Ranma shot them all down as if they were nothing and they all burnt up into black dust.   
  


Mos of the vampires decided to flee, almost none decided to stay and those that did decide to stay died shortly after the decision by Ranma, who had put his guns away opting to cut them all down using his good old silver laced swords. The sun began to rise in the distance and now there were no vampires on the ship what-so-ever.   
  


The Dhampir smiled having vented all of his frustration on that battle. His smile turned into a frown however when he remembered,   
  


"DONNY!!"   
  


The pigtailed vampire slayer ran to where his friend was laying in a pool of his own blood. And bent down to examine the damage. He was hurt bad. The teens blonde hair was soaked in crimson blood and he had a lot more wounds than Ranma thought. Donny was gasping for breath and he was losing blood fast. Ranma had no idea what to do he had been taught to fight, it was the _only_ thing he really knew how to do!   
  


"Hang in there Donny! I'll patch you up together in no time." Ranma said in a voice that cracked and contradicted what he was saying just in the tone. In truth he hadn't a clue if his smart ass friend would even live.   
  


Donny grabbed Ranma's hand weakly and spoke in a harsh raspy voice that gurgled a bit from the blood that he was constantly spitting out of his mouth. "S'okay Ranma." He said. "Just gotta wrap...(cough)... the wounds up. I...can tell that no...(huugh)... vital organs were... damaged." Ranma nodded.   
  


"Right so uhhh," Ranma looked around his immediate surroundings for some thing to wrap up Donny's injuries. He couldn't see anything that could be used. "Where do I find something like that!?" Ranma asked his friend.   
  


Donny pointed to the door that led to the inner workings of the ship. "You might be able to find...(cough)... a first aid kit or some long pieces of cloth...(Cough)... in one of the storage areas or... something" Donny said weakly.   
  


Ranma nodded and immediately went to find something. "Just don't die on me buddy!" Ranma said, "Try to stay awake as long as you can...And stay _away_ from white lights!" Ranma said before running off. Donny laughed a little bit but the effect was cut off by a fit of coughing that brought more blood spewing from his mouth onto the rusty deck of the FRH.   
  


*****************   
  


Passing out always seemed like a good idea to Dowel after a long excruciatingly boring lesson on Japanese and Japanese culture. She had never been good at learning anything other than martial arts. Books, math, Japanese, it was all the most horrible torture that a warrior like her could endear. She had been travelling on that horrible _boat_ for three days! Doing nothing but learning Japanese and throwing up over the ledge.   
  


The green haired girl collapsed on the bed in the hotel that she and her grandmother were staying at. They had finally made it to Japan. Dowel had no idea how her great grandmother even knew that the boy was in Japan. She was glad that she was off the boat she hated sea sickness and was glad to get rid of it. But _now_ she had homesickness. The pain in her gut signified that. Dowel groaned loudly and lay her head back on the pillow hoping a good nights sleep would get rid of it.   
  


"HEY GUYS! WE GOT THREE ROOMS AT MY UNCLES HOTEL FREE FOR THREE NIGHT!! PPPARTTTYYYYYYYYY!!!!" Dowels eyes flew open and she reached for her sword which she kept beside the bed. The sounds from the other rooms beside her were not at all muffled by the pathetically weak walls separating them.   
  


"Why can no leave Dowel _ALONE_!" Dowel moaned in Japanese. Remembering back on one of Cologne's lessons about not harming any Japanese people because their laws were different, she put the sword down and just opted to cover her head with the pillow. It did little to help and the partying hooligans did not shut up even for a second. Dowel's fatigue of the last couple of days overruled the extremely loud music and shouting and she soon fell asleep, snoring loudly as usual.   
  


Dowel awoke the next morning with a headache and a stomach ache. She groaned from the pain that it caused her but grimaced soon after as groaning made it hurt more. She swore to god that those idiots in the other rooms would pay dearly.   
  


***************   
  


The trip back to Japan had been rather uneventful after all of the vampires had been dealt with. Ranma had patched up Donny and the long blonde haired teen was busy resting in one of the cabins. Ranma had been worried there for a while that he wouldn't make it but he was sure now that his friend would pull through. They were really close to Japan now, just about a mile to shore.   
  


Ranma had to operate the boat by himself, it had been a struggle at the beginning but he had finally gotten the hang of it. It was fairly easy, now that he had gotten it down. When the ship arrived they pulled into a beach. Ranma hadn't been to Japan in a long time and he didn't exactly know where to go to find a dock or something. So he just went in the general direction of Japan and hoped that he hadn't veered off course.   
  


Ranma had been going pretty fast and the one thing he hadn't bothered to learn how to do is slow down so the landing was a little rough, namely they slammed into a beach at full speed. Needless to say the FRH (Faithful Rusty Heap) was a little bit broken. In other words, Ranma had totally smashed the boat to pieces.   
  


Ranma and Donny soon left the boat and began to walk towards the docks not to far away. Donny was limping and Ranma was carrying all of the luggage they had. They were rising over the last hill before the dockside and a couple of people came running their way. One was a brown haired male with a blue t-shirt and blue jeans. The other was a petite blonde girl wearing a yellow sun dress. They obviously didn't know they were there at first, they were on some sort of picnic and were currently chasing after each other and laughing. The man stopped and noticed Ranma and Donny. He rushed towards the pair when he realized that Donny was injured.   
  


"Hey is your friend all right?" asked the boy. The girl came up behind him and latched onto his arm, she eyed Ranma carefully, noticing the various weapons strewn all over his body.   
  


Ranma set down a couple of the things and Donny sat down to rest a little. "We're looking for a place to stay for the night. My friend here just needs a few nights rest. Do you know of a decent hotel around?" The boy nodded and pointed behind him.   
  


"Yeah. There's a hotel a little ways that way. It's down by a beach by the dock, next to an old abandoned mill or something. I've been there before, it's not the best, but they have hot water." Ranma nodded and motioned for Donny that it was time to leave. Donny struggled and got up off of the ground, Ranma then picked up the rest of their luggage and began walking in the direction the teen had pointed. The brown haired guy, jogged up after them after a second. "Hey your friend looks pretty badly hurt, shouldn't you get him to a hospital first?, he's bleeding a lot under those bandages."   
  


Ranma looked back at the man with an expressionless face. "His wounds are mostly superficial. Nothing important was hit. Besides," Ranma said with a smile, "I prefer to do things the old fashioned way." Ranma and Donny kept walking and the brown haired man went back to his girlfriend.   
  


*Old _fashioned_ way?* Donny thought with dread.   
  


*************   
  


Ranma threw their stuff down beside one of the two beds in the run down hotel they had decided to use as a base of operations until they could find something a little more permanent and less costly. Donny lay down on one of the beds to get some rest. Ranma pulled up a chair and pulled out one of his knives. "What are you doing?" Asked Donny, dreading what was to come next.   
  


Ranma just looked at the blade set it down and then began to unwrap the bandages that were covering his friend's wounds. "Taking them bullet's outta your hide, that's what." Ranma then picked up the knife and without warning dug it into one of the wounds on his leg. Donny grabbed the edge of the bed and forced himself not to scream as he clenched his teeth. Ranma flicked his wrist and then took the knife out, he then dug his fingers into the wound and pulled out the bullet. Donny let out a deep breath and began to breath deeply.   
  


"W-Warn me next...time, Ranma!" Donny said with a glare. Ranma nodded, picked up the knife and grabbed onto his arm which also had a bullet lodged in it.   
  


"Count to three." Ranma said, emotionlessly.   
  


"Alright just give me a moment to breath a little." Donny said as he took a few breaths. "Okay. One.........." He began.   
  


Ranma dug the knife into the wound and began working on dislodging the bullet in there. "Three." He said. Donny began squirming a little bit and he covered his eyes and looked away as Ranma pulled it out with his fingers again.   
  


"I didn't say two or three." Said Donny between deep raspy breaths. Ranma shrugged threw the bullet on the ground and moved to the one on his side.   
  


"You were stalling." Ranma said. "I'm going in again." Donny clenched his teeth and waited for the pain to subside. When Ranma finished, Donny let out a sigh of relief.   
  


"I don't know what's worse, getting shot or getting healed." Donny said as he lay back breathing heavily.   
  


"I'm not done yet." Said Ranma. "I've still got to sauderize the wounds so you don't bleed to death or get infected." Donny groaned.   
  


Ranma stuck the same knife onto a stove burner and waited a few minutes for the blade to heat up. Donny began breathing and chanting a mantra to himself as he noticed Ranma pick up the knife. "I won't cry, I won't cry, I won't cry." Ranma sat down on the chair beside the bed and paused for a second, he then pressed the flat of the blade onto the wound on his side, Donny wasn't expecting this and was thinking that he would do the leg first again. "Aaaah, this is _not_ f-f-funny, Ranma." Donny said between gasps of pain.   
  


"Who's trying to be funny?" Ranma asked. As he looked his friend in the eye and smiled.   
  


"I hate you." Donny said. Ranma nodded and then without warning moved the red hot blade to the leg wound. When it was all over Donny fell asleep and Ranma began polishing up his weapons which were all mostly covered in vampire blood.   
  


He began to think back to the girl he had saved from a horde of vampires a few days ago in China. She was very pretty and could fight fairly decently from what he saw at the now torched tavern. He looked over at Donny on the other bed and frowned. His blonde haired friend was holding something back from him and it was really irritating. He wanted Toru dead and the sooner the better.   
  


**************   
  


Later that night, a man entered the hotel, he was tall, about nine feet, and was dressed completely in black, making him almost invisible to the naked eye. He walked through the lobby without a sound and walked up a creaky flight of stairs, though they did not creak once. When he reached the top of the stairs he stopped for a moment and a distortion of sorts appeared around him, he then turned and began walking down the hall towards a certain room.   
  


The man's hand glowed a dark Crimson light for a moment and a small click was heard, indicating that the door had been unlocked somehow. He opened the door silently and walked through the door, his height forcing him to duck down. He walked towards one of the beds in the room and reached a hand out to touch the man occupying it. The man with the tussled black hair and a short ponytail.   
  


All of a sudden the sheets flew off of the figure on the bed and the large man took a step back as a black blur shot over his head he turned around and looked tried to get a good look at the boy. He didn't get a chance to focus his eyes on the boy who attacked suddenly at the tall figure. The tall figure grabbed onto both Ranma's arms, locking them together and disabling the attack. He then swung him hard into one of the walls, _hard_. It cracked and pieces of it fell off from the impact.   
  


Ranma stood up with his sword at a defensive position. Apparently a head on surprise attack wasn't doing him any good, the giant was too fast even though his mass would suggest otherwise. "Who are you? What do want?!" Ranma asked with a glare.   
  


The giant took a single step towards Ranma and took off the large black cloak that was concealing his appearance. "I sense good in you, and a soul. Though you have the blood of the undead. You have much hate for Vampires, yet, you are a part of them yourself."   
  


"SHUT UP!!" Ranma snarled at the overly large vampire in front of him and prepared to attack again. The vampire moved out of the way with blinding speed and Ranma just hit nothing.   
  


The Vampire, who stood about nine feet tall, had long greasy grey hair, flowing black robes with red hems, and a very noticeable vampiric appearance, put out a calming hand. "I am not here to fight you." He said in a calm voice. "My name is Ekimus. I've come to you with an offer."   
  


Ranma sniffed and held his position. "Right! Every time I hear a vampire say they have an offer for me it usually involves DYING!" He said with heavy sarcasm, "You expect me to believe this _crap_!?" Ekimus shook his head.   
  


"You don't need to believe anything. You're already caught up in something over your head. You are one of the chosen and play a big role in the plans of Toru Asahata." Ranma moved forward threateningly.   
  


"What do you know about Toru!?" Ranma asked with menace. Ekimus moved forward as well, but kept his distance from the boy's blade.   
  


"I know that you are a damphir, with the heart of a hero. Toru is looking to resurrect the Blood God and only you can acquire the power to defeat him. I can teach you that power, if you refuse though, then the world will be thrust into darkness and Toru will win."   
  


"If your really on the side of good, why don't you stop him yourself?"   
  


Ekimus shook his ancient head and frowned. "I would, but, both Heaven and Hell have forbid my colleagues and I to interfere directly. For some reason they have led me to you. You alone who must defeat this man on your own. I have been given permission to guide you and teach you the magic that would allow you to overcome all of Toru's obstacles."   
  


Ranma rolled his eyes. "Riiiight! I'm supposed to believe a total stranger, a vampire at that, automatically that I'm supposed to save the world or something, I've got my own reasons for going after Toru and I don't your help to kill a second rate vampire." Ranma then jumps springs off of a nearby wall and attacks Ekimus again. The vampire then turned into a blacking mist and Ranma's blade passed right through him. The mist then began to float out of the door. Ekimus' voice could be heard trailing off as he left.   
  


"Remember my offer boy. It still stands."   
  


Ranma frowned, closed the door to the hotel room and then throws his blade under the bed that he was sleeping in. He climbs back under the sheets and then tries to go back to sleep. He looks over to the Bed Donny was sleeping in and gets a confused look on his face. Donny was still fast asleep, *that's odd.* Ranma thought to him self. He then shrugged and tried to get back to sleep.   
  


************   
  


Elsewhere,   
  


Three beings sat around a pool of water and stared into it, an image of Ranma sleeping with a frown was floating in the water. One of the beings, a female with long silver hair and her features hidden by shadows, spoke as she gazed at the image. "This could be bad. If La Magra is resurrected then you can kiss Midgard goodBYE!" One of the other girls hidden by shadows staring into the pool spoke,   
  


"I don't think this is a good idea. What was father thinking when he chose a vampire to be a chosen one? Let alone three! I don't see any good in this person. All he does is hunt after some bad guy for revenge."   
  


The third one spoke, this one having long brown hair hanging down past her shoulders in a long ponytail. "Father sees much good in Ranma Saotome. I do to. We shouldn't question fathers motives, everything he does has a purpose. I think we should just pray that La Magra doesn't get released. After all father wouldn't choose this boy if he didn't think he could accomplish such a task."   
  


"Good point." said the silver haired girl, "besides, I think he's cute."   
  


The brown haired one looked to the silver haired girl, "Father said nobody is to interfere with this. It's very important to him. I better not catch you in Midgard until it's all over." the silver one threw her hands up in the air and stood up.   
  


"Fine, fine! I'm outta here." The other two girls stood up from the sides of the pool and followed the silver haired one. The picture in the pool faded away and it gave the appearance of normal water.   
  


***********   
  


The next morning. Donny sat at a small desk in the hotel room that he and Ranma had taken up residence in for the time being. "Must have been some party you had last night Ranma." he said as he typed at a laptop computer he had taken with him.   
  


Ranma was sharpening some of his smaller blades that he had as he sat on a chair with his legs up on the same desk Donny was using. "What is it your doing anyway?" He asked. Donny put his hand over the mouse to the right of the portable computer, moved it to a certain part of the screen and clicked.   
  


"Trying to get us a more permanent and less costly base of operations. I've got a good contact here in Japan who I'm pretty sure can hook us up easily." Ranma put down his sharpening tools and stared at the screen.   
  


"So who's this contact of yours?" Ranma asked.   
  


"Just a girl I know." Donny said as he typed a few more things on his computer then clicked again with the mouse. "A HA! I just got us a place, free of charge for about six or seven months!" Ranma looked at the screen and read over some of the stuff.   
  


"Exchange students?" Ranma asked confusedly. "What the hells that supposed to mean?"   
  


Donny laughed nervously, he had hoped he wouldn't have to explain it to him. He knew he wouldn't like it. "Well, the only way I could get us a place was by setting us up as exchange students. This means we'll get food, shelter, and privacy."   
  


Ranma shrugged. "That's not so bad."   
  


"There's a catch."   
  


"What!?" Ranma said as he glared at Donny.   
  


"We have to go to a nearby school. That's a part of the deal." Ranma grit his teeth and gripped the knife in his hands a little tighter. Donny noticed this and started to sweat. "Uhh, it's just an under cover sort of thing, yeah. I made sure that I got the place in a district that was fairly close to Toru's main base of operations." Ranma's grip loosened a little. "This will give us a little bit of an edge because we'll be living with a nice, well respected family for the duration of our stay and we wont be right next door so we won't be too obvious."   
  


"Too OBVIOUS!?" Ranma yelled. "He knew we were coming before we even left China!" Donny put his hands up to calm his friend down a bit.   
  


"Hold on now. I'm merely doing this to make it easier on ourselves."   
  


"Do you know how much time school is going to take up!?" Ranma yelled. "We should be spending all of our time tracking down Toru and killing him! Not hanging around with a bunch of teenage girls, listening to teachers drone on about number and eating lunch under a tree. We've got more important things to deal with than this crap!"   
  


Donny turned back to his computer and clicked a couple of buttons. "Alright." he said with a defeated sigh. "I'll try to fix us up with something better. Why don't you make yourself useful and get us some breakfast? I'm starving, and this big ass wound on my leg doesn't make walking all that fun!"   
  


Ranma nodded, picked up his trench-coat and headed out the door.   
  


*************   
  


Heads turn with confusion wonder and sometimes attraction as Ranma walks back towards the Hotel room that he and Donny are staying at. He was currently eating some fries out of one of many bags in his arms. He had gone down to a couple restaurants and fast food places and picked up some breakfast like Donny had said to do. Of course with Donny's luck it'd all be eaten by Ranma by the time he got back to the hotel. Ranma tried to not notice all of the stares he was getting from practically every person he walked by but he really stuck out in a crowd and there weren't that many people out at that moment.   
  


Most people out on the streets of Japan were Elderly people, teenagers with bright coloured t-shirts and young children taking early morning walks with their parents. Ranma had unkept black hair, red eyes, a trench coat and a sword slung over his back. Ranma paused and looked down to see a little girl tugging at his trench-coat.   
  


"What?" Ranma said in confusion.   
  


The girl dug around in a backpack for a moment and then pulled out a piece of paper and a crayon. The little girl then held out the paper and the crayon up towards Ranma and blushed. "C-Can I have your autogwaph?" She asked. Ranma chuckled and then shook his head.   
  


"I'm not an actor." Ranma said. Just then a hand came down and grabbed the girl pulling her away from Ranma. Ranma looked up to see, what he guessed was the girls mother, pulling on the girl's arm and chastising her for bothering Ranma.   
  


"How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers?!"   
  


"But Maaaaa!"   
  


"No buts! I want you to stay away from him!" The stopped complaining and waved to Ranma as her mother dragged her down the street.   
  


"BYE JACKIE CHAN!!" The girl said as she waved to Ranma.   
  


Ranma turned and began walking to the hotel again. *Jackie Chan? Who's that?* Ranma wondered in his head as he continued to walk down the sidewalk. Ranma stopped all of a sudden and looked around. He looked towards an alley on the other side of the road that he had just passed. *I'm being followed.* He stated in his mind. He then began to walk again, he felt a presence move at the same time as him and had no doubt in his mind that the presence had been following him ever since he had left the hotel.   
  


Ranma decided that then was a good time to leave and find a more secure place to stay.   
  


***************   
  


SLAM!   
  


Donny jumped out of his seat as Ranma came rushing through the door with a look of worry on his face. "What's going on?" Donny asked in confusion as Ranma began packing up all of their stuff.   
  


"We've got to go find that place that we're going to be staying at aren't we?" Ranma said. Donny walked up to Ranma and began helping him pack up as the half-vampire Martial artist began looking around the room at the ceilings and the lamps and such.   
  


"What's going on?" Donny asked in a quiet whisper of a voice. Ranma finally stopped looking and focused on the packing. He motioned with his head towards one side of the room with his head while keeping his eyes on what he was doing.   
  


"There's a painting on the wall over there. The eye is a small camera and we've been being monitored the entire time we were here. There's another one in the ashtray on the right wall by the bathroom. Do exactly as I say when I say." Donny nodded and listened as Ranma gave him the basics of what they were going to do and continued packing.   
  


***********   
  


In the next room a lone figure sits on a chair viewing two monitors that show clear pictures of Ranma and Donny packing their things, getting ready to leave. One of the cameras showed Ranma walking towards it with a sword in his hand, Ranma then tripped over something on the floor and fell into the secret hidden camera, the picture tumbled for a bit and then the monitor showed nothing but static.   
  


"Clumsy kids." snorted the man he then saw Donny and Ranma leave the view of the camera, the camera stayed to show just a blank screen for a moment then Ranma came back with his sword and stabbed it straight into the camera. 

"OH SHIT!" The person then pressed a button on the console in front of him and screamed into the head piece. "THE DAHMPIR'S FOUND US OUT! SEND THE SHOCK TROOPS IN!!"   
  


************   
  


CRASH!   
  


Five human figures burst through the door to the hotel Room Donny and Ranma were staying at. The figures were clad in shiny black suits and had bit's of technology protruding from their faces and arms, as well as large generators on their backs. The suits covered every single part of their anatomy, no epidermis was showing anywhere. Each person had a high tech handgun one them and they were looking around the room frantically trying to find their targets.   
  


"Where are they?" one of them asked.   
  


"I don't know." Responded another.   
  


"Spread out, we don't get paid until we've captured him." Said the one at the head of the group. He was obviously the leader.   
  


The black clad shock troopers nodded and began searching the area. One of them kicked down the door to the bathroom and looked around inside. "No one in here!" He called out to the rest of the group. Just then the window smashed in from the outside and Ranma came to a stop on the floor in a martial arts stance with his sword held over his head.   
  


"Uh oh." Ranma said as his smirk faltered. He jumped out of the way just as five electromagnetic pulse lasers shot towards him. He got out of the way in time but the wall behind him did not fare as well. An explosion rocked the entire foundation and Ranma fell on his face as a cloud of dust covered his and the black figures vision. Ranma got another surprise then when the guns began firing repeatedly at him. He barely managed to get out of the way but the explosions that were caused afterwards threw him off balance. "I have GOT to get me one of those!" Ranma said as he tried to blind side one of them through the dust.   
  


It didn't work and another hail of pulse fire threw him off balance. *SHIT! They must have some sort of heat vision.* Ranma thought as he tried to get a better look of his opponents. Suddenly they stopped firing altogether. *Nows my chance!* Ranma thought as he suddenly rushed towards the black clad group.   
  


************   
  


The man in the next room looked through the monitors in front of him with wide eyes. They were showing the black clad figures firing at The Saotome Blade. He was looking through a camera that was attached to one of the shock troops head pieces.   
  


"STOP FIRING! STOP FIRING!" He yelled into his own head piece. "TORU WANT'S HIM ALIVE! USE NON-LETHAL TERMS!"   
  


*************   
  


As soon as the Shock troops stopped firing their weapons at Ranma he rushed towards them with a smirk on his face. he picked up his sword off of the ground on his mad dash since it had been knocked out of his hands during the explosion.   
  


Normally any and all vampire would flee at the sight of the infamous Saotome Blade attacking them, but Ranma was surprised for the umpteenth time that day when each of the shock troopers pulled out bladed weapons of their own and rushed to meet the Teenage dhampir's attack. Ranma couldn't recognize the type of weapons they were using as he dodged and weaved through their defenses. Ranma's blade clashed with one of the vampire shock trooper's blades and then some sort of blue glow ignited on the oddly shaped blade's edge and it began to cut through Ranma's sword.   
  


"WHAT THE HELL!?" Ranma yelled as he jumped back and away from the blade. Half of Ranma's blade fell off and he was left with a hilt and a much shorter blade. Ranma's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned, "Now I'm pissed." He pointed to his now broken sword and looked around at the shock troops who were surrounding him and waiting for him to make the next move. "THIS was my FAVORITE SWORD!" He yelled.   
  


Ranma leapt towards the leader and swung his blade at his head. It conected right at the base of his neck but nothing happened, or rather something did but not what Ranma had intended. Instead of the blade cutting through the vampires neck and decapitating him, it stopped about four inches from contact by some sort of blue force field that flashed when it hit. "...the Fuck?!" Ranma said.   
  


He was then caught off guard as a fist impacted with his skull and sent him to the other side of the room. Ranma nearly fell out of the gap in the wall to the ground below but he righted himself just in time to see all five shock troops headed towards him with weapons bared, except one that had, what Ranma thought, was a device for detaining a person. Ranma jumped towards that person and began hitting him as fast as he could in as many different places hoping to find a weak spot. Ranma then noticed a back pack of some sort on one black clad troops backs.   
  


The pack had some sort of metallic container that was carrying some kind of glowing fluid. *Bingo!* Ranma thought as he got his trademark smirk across his face. Ranma rushed towards the man and feinted attacking from the front. The shock troop was obviously getting cocky and laughed expecting the sword to be deflected by the force field that surrounded him. Ranma then jumped over the vampire and spun around stabbing the container holding fluid. His blade continued through and impaled the vamp through the heart. It then disintegrated, leaving only a pile of dust and technology.   
  


The other vamp's force fields glowed blue around them like auras and the they were gone. They looked at Ranma in shock as he smiled darkly at his opponents. "Now it's my turn to have fun." With that Ranma picked up the gun that the shock trooper he killed had dropped and began firing it at the other troopers. Electromagnetic pulse fire erupted from the weapon and hit each target dead on before they even knew what was happening. They're bodies exploded in a blueish green and orange fireball. "HA HAA! I LOVE THIS THING!" Ranma said as he kissed the weapon on the side before gathering up the leftovers of the first shock troops weaponry and armor.   
  


Ranma walked over to the hole in the wall where one there had been a window. He looked back at the destroyed room for a moment and whistled. "Room service is going to have a hell of a time with this." Ranma then jumped out of the room and into the alley below.   
  


*************   
  


Donny sat whistling at a bus stop with one leg crossed over the other. He was currently writing something on his laptop while waiting for Ranma to finish up at the Hotel. He looked at his watch for a moment and frowned. *Jeeze! What the hell is taking him so long?*   
  


"OH MY GOD THAT MAN'S GOT A GUN!"   
  


Donny smiled as the obese Japanese woman pointed And yelled that out. "That would be Ranma." He noted to himself. The woman's statement sent the people in the area in a frenzy and they all began running around in different directions trying to get away from the area. Ranma appeared a moment later in Donny's line of vision. The pigtailed Dhampir walked towards Donny with the electromagnetic weapon in one hand and a leather suit with bits of technology attached to it draped in the other. "Took you long enough." stated Donny.   
  


"I needed to let some steam off. Past few day've been a little hectic." Replied the Black clad vampire hunter as he took a seat right next to Donny at the bus stop. "When's the bus come?" He asked.   
  


Donny looked at his watch again. "It should be here in another couple minutes. It heads straight to Nerima, that's where the family we're gonna be staying with is living." Donny noticed the gun in Ranma's hand and the other stuff. "Say, what is all of that stuff anyway?"   
  


Ranma held up the gun for Donny to see. "This, is the kind of stuff they were using on me. This gun has some sort of explosive, electromagnetic pulse beam, and the suits have some sort of generator that gives them a force field of sorts."   
  


"Fascinating!" Donny exclaimed as he examined the weapon. "This is far more advanced than anything I've ever seen in our modern technology. This is light years away from what we should be able to develop."   
  


"So your suggesting...what?" Ranma asked. Donny shrugged his shoulders, and grabbed the force suit that Ranma was carrying with him.   
  


"I don't know. But what I do know is that if I could pick this apart than I could probably duplicate it and maybe even improve on it. This appears to be a prototype of some sort. I can't wait to find out what this thing's made of."   
  


Ranma nodded and looked over his shoulder to see a bus pulling up to the stop. "Here's our ride." Ranma said. Donny looked back and sure enough, there was a bus there {duh}   
  


*************   
  


Authors notes:{Well that's it. I've finally gotten back to writing Saotome Blade. It's been a while, but I've got lots of great new ideas for this story and I want to get through the first plot line and GET the STORY TOLD! I procrastinate way too much when it comes to writing. Between Martial Arts, Drum lessons, Weight lifting, band practice, school, and Improv team, I've hardly got any time to write. I will try to update fairly often but I can't guarantee any weekly updates. I'll be working on this story, Adamantium Rage, and Ranma's Hell Forge for quite a while. I want to get caught up to Astral Minds and maybe even surpass it in number of chapters. Astral Minds is an Epic and probably won't end for a long LONG time, Saotome Blade, Adamantium Rage and Hell Forge have endings, so I'm gonna get there. I haven't forgotten about the others, I'm just putting them on hold. Thanks for waiting, Morden Night: anime_morden@crystal-tokyo.com   
  


  
  



	5. Girl Problems and Werewolves

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The Saotome Blade   
  


Disclaimer: They don't belong to me but Blade and Ranma are cool as hell.   
  


* *: Thoughts   
  


[" "]: Chinese Language   
  


" ": Ancient Vampire language   
  


Capital letters: Shouting or loud noises   
  


{ }: Author's own thoughts   
  


_ _: Stressed words   
  


Chapter 5   
  


Girl Problems and Werewolves.   
  


Donny and Ranma walked down the streets of Nerima. They soon stopped in front of a large house. A sign was hung beside the large wooden doors that lead to the front yard of the house. "Woah!" Noted Donny. "That's a nice house."   
  


Ranma shrugged. "I've seen bigger."   
  


Donny opened the doors and walked through. "This is Japan Ranma. There's a lot more people here than in china. It would cost a lot more money to live in s house this big." Ranma just shrugged again and walked up to the front door with his friend He knocked on the door and waited. He heard a couple of voices from inside and then footsteps coming towards the door. A girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail answered the door and frowned when she saw who it was.   
  


"Hello." said Donny to the girl. He extended his hand to her in greeting hoping to start his relationship with the people here with a good start. "I'm Donny, and this is Ranma." He said motioning towards his friend who was carrying all of the luggage and a bunch of weapons. The girl just stared at the hand disgustedly. Donny, seeing that she wasn't going to take the offered hand put it into his pocket and continued. "I'm looking for Nabiki Tendo."   
  


Akane rolled her eyes and tilted her head back into the house and yelled out. "NABIKI! SOME OF YOUR _FRIENDS_ ARE AT THE DOOR!" she then slammed it and stomped off into the house.   
  


Ranma and Donny looked at each other. "That went well." Donny said to his black clad companion. Ranma smirked and looked back at the door that the girl had slammed in their faces and chuckled.   
  


"This...is going to be the place we're living? What were you thinking Donny?" Donny shrugged moments later the door opened again to reveal a slightly taller, slightly bustier, prettier, and shorter haired girl about Ranma's age.   
  


"Sorry about that." The girl said. "That's my sister, she doesn't like boys that much she also has a huge temper. You are...?" Donny held out his hand, this time the girl grabbed it and shook it.   
  


"I'm Donny, and this is Ranma." He said. "We're the exchange students from China. Nabiki smirked.   
  


"Oooh China. Sounds nice, your Japanese is surprisingly good. You honor students or something?" Donny nodded   
  


"I am. Ranma here was actually born and raised here in Japan when he was young he moved to China somewhere around the age of five." Nabiki nodded and motioned for them to come in.   
  


"Does 'Ranma' talk at all?" She asked as she led them up the stairs.   
  


"I noticed you have a dojo." Ranma said to Nabiki's back as he walked behind her. Nabiki stopped, turned and smirked at the hunter.   
  


"Ah so the mystery man has a voice. What do you want to know about the dojo?"   
  


"I want to know if I could use it. I'm a martial artist."   
  


"Oh great. Another one." Nabiki said in a monotone. "You'll fit right in here I suppose."   
  


The group continued towards the room. Ranma entered behind the other two and set the luggage down he then turned and exited the room. "I'll be back in a while, get all that computer junk set up Donny. I'm gonna go practice."   
  


"Where are you going?" Nabiki asked. Ranma ignored her and just walked down the stairs.   
  


Nabiki smiled as she put a hand across her chin and looked puzzled. *Hmm He's definitely cute, and quiet. This is a mystery that I think I'm gonna like unraveling.* Donny began setting things up in the room, he put his laptop over on one of the desks and hooked it up. He then took a certain bag and shoved it underneath the desk, making sure that Nabiki hadn't seen the contents of the bag.   
  


Nabiki left shortly after and Donny began to study the inner workings of the Electromagnetic laser pistol tha t Ranma had picked up off of a fallen Vampire working for Toru.   
  


***********   
  


(Later)   
  


Nabiki Tendo was being lazy. She didn't have anything to do today so she was spending most of her time lying on the couch reading Manga. Her older sister, Kasumi, was busy in the kitchen preparing supper, and the exchange students were off doing their own thing. Donny was still in his room and Ranma hadn't come out of the dojo for hours. Akane had left earlier after Nabiki had showed their guests to their room and then came back just recently.   
  


"Nabiki."   
  


"Huh?" Nabiki's thoughts were interrupted by her older sister calling her name softly. "Oh okay." She lifted her self off the couch and began to walk through the house to where all of the current occupants were. Just as she was about to head out to the dojo to get Ranma the front door opened.   
  


"I'm HOOOME!" Called the masculine voice.   
  


"Hi Daddy." Nabiki called to her father as he took his hat off and hung it up on a nearby coat hanger, along with his coat. Nabiki walked out to the yard and then opened the door to the dojo as her father and the others rushed to the table to eat. The short brown haired girl paused and gawked at the person in the dojo. Ranma was in the middle of what looked like a very complicated kata, and his shirt was off. She watched as his muscles flowed with every movement. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open as she stared at the masculine treasure that was now her houseguest. *Woah I can't wait to get to know him better.*   
  


"What do you want?" Ranma asked as he turned around and eyed the girl with his hands on his hips.   
  


"I-I-I...I..." Nabiki couldn't say anything her eyes were glued to the boy heaving chest. She was having trouble believing that this boy was only seventeen or so.   
  


"Well?" Ranma said impatiently.   
  


Nabiki was blushing furiously and she decided to get it out as fast as possible. "Dinner'sreadyKasumissaidtocallyouBYE!" With that Nabiki ran back into the house covering her reddening cheeks.   
  


At dinner Akane's face was scrunched up in a scowl as she glared at Ranma, he was sweating a little and the smell was getting to her head. She wanted to pull out a mallet and smash him with it, like she did all the other boys, but Nabiki said she couldn't cause they were the exchange students that were arranged to stay here. That just made her even more angry. She was hoping that the exchange students would be girls.   
  


"So," Soun said, trying to start a conversation with their guests. "What's your name's? I don't believe that Nabiki has introduced us yet." Donny wiped his mouth and set the napkin he had used to do so on the table.   
  


"I'm Donny. I'm kind of a technical guy, I like to fiddle around with gadgets and make stuff. That there," He said, pointing to Ranma, "is Ranma. He's a martial artist and tends to beat up anything that's not human." Soun nodded.   
  


"I see. I knew a boy named Ranma once. He was the son of a dear old friend of mine. I haven't heard from him for a long time though. We trained under the same master." Ranma nodded and continued eating his meal.   
  


"So, Kasumi. Do you do all of the cooking and cleaning around here?" Ranma asked. Kasumi nodded.   
  


"Yes after our mother began working she hasn't had time to prepare dinner and cook meals, so I've kind of taken it upon myself to do so."   
  


Soun smiled brightly. "Yes, she's been very useful. Her mother and I both have full time jobs and don't get back until late. I got off earlier today so I actually get to enjoy my meal warm. Ha Ha!" Ranma smirked.   
  


"I've got a full time job myself. Had it since I was at least six years old." Soun looked at the boy inquisitively.   
  


"What is it you do Ranma my boy?" Ranma shrugged.   
  


"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. It's the only thing that's kept me alive these past ten years. I've never known my mother and my father was killed in China while we where on a training trip."   
  


Something clicked in Soun Tendo's mind at that moment. "China...you say? On a training trip? Ten years?" Ranma nodded.   
  


"Yeah. So?"   
  


Soun cleared his thought. "Ranma your last name wouldn't happen to be Sao...tome would it?"   
  


Ranma blinked and looked a little confused. He didn't like the way Soun was looking at him hopefully like that. It looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown of some sorts. "Yeeeaah. So?" Soun jumped across the table and embraced Ranma in a crushing embrace.   
  


"Oh Genma! I'm so happy! The schools will finally be united!" He said as tears flowed down his face. Ranma frowned, grabbed Soun's arm and flipped him over on his back.   
  


"What's going on!? How do you know my father!? What do you mean 'unite the schools'!?" Ranma yelled at the black haired man.   
  


Soun just stared at the ceiling wistfully. "HEY! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO MY DAD!" Akane yelled at Ranma. Ranma just glared at her and flashed his teeth witch included a set of sharp fangs.   
  


"Stay out of this!"   
  


"Akane! Don't yell at Ranma. He could be your new fiancé!" Akane Ranma and all of the rest spun their attention on Soun abruptly.   
  


"WHAT!" They all yelled simultaneously, except Kasumi who just opted for an "Oh my!" {as if there's any other response.}   
  


"I'm HOOOOME!" Everyone looked over to see a woman with short cropped black hair walk through the door. She was carrying a brief case and a business suit. The woman looked over at all of the people in her house who were looking at her and smiled. "Oh I didn't realize we had guests."   
  


***********   
  


(Later)   
  


The Tendo family, Donny and Ranma all sat around the table together with the half eaten meal still in front of them. "...and that's how I know your father Ranma." Soun exclaimed with a wide smile. "Now which would you like? My oldest daughter Kasumi. She's nineteen. My middle daughter Nabiki. She's seventeen. Or my youngest daughter Akane. She's sixteen." Ranma and Donny glanced at each other and then looked at Soun confused.   
  


"HUH!?" They both questioned simultaneously.   
  


Soun chuckled at the two boys reactions. "I'm not surprised Genma didn't tell you. He always did have a knack for leaving everything to the last minute. You see, I and your father made a pact when our wives first got pregnant. We vowed to unite the two schools of anything goes martial arts by marrying two of our children. We hadn't specified exactly which children but you were an only child so it's really up to which of my daughters you choose to marry."   
  


Nabiki's eyebrow shot up and she smiled at her father. "Wow Daddy. He's quite the catch." She then looked back at Ranma almost hungrily. "I guess arranged marriages aren't so bad after all."   
  


"Well count me OUT of it!" Akane said as she threw her nose in the air away from Ranma. "I'm not marrying any boy! No matter what!"   
  


""Well he's certainly to young for me." Kasumi said. "I'm already three years older than he is."   
  


"Actually I'm turning eighteen next week." Ranma added. "But what does that have to do with anything?! I don't want to get married!"   
  


"But your father and I made a pact..." Soun protested.   
  


"NO!" Ranma yelled at the man as he stood up from the table. "How do I know your not just making this up?!"   
  


"Ranma." Nabiki began. "My father has been talking nonstop for the last eleven or twelve years about 'his good old friend Genma's son who one of us would one day marry. You really don't think he would say that without it being true, especially for a whole twelve years, now do you?" Ranma reluctantly sat down and tried to figure out a way to defuse this situation without breaking all of their necks, which is how he usually dealt with his people problems.   
  


"Okay so you're probably telling the truth. But I hardly know any of these girls, and I'm way to young to be getting married now. I'm not saying that your daughters aren't attractive or that I won't honor your pact with my deceased father, I'm just saying that I would like to get to know them first and wait till I'm older to get married."   
  


"My that's very mature of you Ranma." Noted Kasumi.   
  


"That sounds reasonable now, doesn't it honey?" Asked Kimiko, Soun's wife.   
  


Soun nodded "That sound's like an excellent idea! We'd be glad to put you up here for as long as you'd like until then. Your absolutely right, this is an important decision and can't just be decided with the flip of a coin."   
  


Ranma nodded and folded his arms across his chest as he smirked. *No problem! Now the only thing I have to worry about is Toru.*   
  


Jut then one of the walls to the Tendo house collapsed inward with a loud crash. Everyone jumped back surprised and a little scared except for Ranma and Donny who were just surprised. The dust and debris settled and everyone just sat there staring. A girl, about 16 or seventeen years old, with Emerald green hair and eyes, wearing a blue Chinese pantsuit with white sandals. She was holding some sort of war club and was smiling.   
  


"Oh My!" Kasumi said.   
  


The girl in the hole in the wall looked around and smiled when she spotted Ranma. "AIREN!" She said as she jumped at Ranma and held him in a bone crushing hug? Ranma was paralyzed by the single word that the girl had said. Donny smirked at Ranma. Nabiki was frowning, Kasumi looked confused, Akane was still upset that the exchange students weren't girls, Soun was furious.   
  


"RANMA! What is the MEANING OF THIS!? WHO IS THIS GIRL!?" Kimiko put her hand on Soun's shoulder to calm him down.   
  


"Soun, Let him explain. I'm sure there is a good explanation for this."   
  


"Actually there is a very good explanation for this." Came a new voice from the hole in the wall. Everyone else in the room all looked towards the new voice. An old lady walked in and sat down at the table. "He is her husband."   
  


"WHAT!!" Screamed everyone in the room, including Ranma and Donny. The old lady then smacked the young girl over the head with a large wooden cane that was about twice as big as she was.   
  


"Speak Japanese girl!"   
  


"Sorry." Dowel said. She then got off of Ranma and sat down beside him still clinging to his arm.   
  


Ranma pointed at the girl and started stuttering. "I...I know...you." Dowel nodded.   
  


"At the bar. You save me and kill all the enemies." Ranma nodded.   
  


"Then you kissed me."   
  


Soun cut them off. His frustration getting the better of him. "Ranma! YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T WANT TO GET MARRIED! THE PACT WAS FOR YOU TO MARRY ONE OF _MY_ DAUGHTERS!!" Ranma looked up at the man and shrugged his shoulders while gesturing at the green haired girl beside him.   
  


"Mr. Tendo I don't even know this girl's name! I never married her! All I did was save her life and then she kissed me! I would have remembered some sort of ceremony!"   
  


Soun was red with anger. "YOU MARRIED A COMPLETE STRANGER!?! OHHH THE SHAME!!" Ranma got angry and furrowed his eyes at the older man.   
  


"WE'RE NOT MARRIED!"   
  


The old woman who came with the girl spoke up again. "Actually you are by our laws."   
  


Ranma directed a glare at that old woman and she could swear she almost saw his eyes flash red. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE!" the two foot tall, shriveled up, old woman cleared her throat and began.   
  


"First of all, My name is Cologne. I am a Matriarch to a tribe of Chinese amazons near the Biankala Mountain Range. This is one of my great granddaughters Dowel. She is an amazon warrior and wife to this talented young man."   
  


"How the HELL can I be married to someone I've only met once!" Ranma growled at the old woman as he tried to shake off the amorous girl from his arm, with no luck.   
  


Cologne smiled, "Three thousand years of Amazon tradition is how."   
  


"HUH!?" Ranma asked.   
  


"The amazon village has some very strict rules when it comes to marriage. It goes like this: When an outsider female defeats one of the females in our village than she must hunt the outsider down and kill them at all costs. If a male were to defeat one of our females than they must marry." Ranma looked disgusted. He stood up and violently shook the girl off.   
  


"That is the biggest load of HORSESHIT I have EVER HEARD! I am NOT going to just sit here and be dictated as to who I have to marry! I'm out of here!" With that Ranma went up to the room that he was sharing with Donny, grabbed his Trench coat and swords and then jumped out the window into the cool night air.   
  


Cologne nodded and watched as Ranma rushed past the front door and jumped over the outer wall. "That went better than I'd hoped."   
  


"Husband?" Dowel said as she prepared to get up and go after him. Cologne put her withered hand on the girl's shoulder.   
  


"Let the boy vent his frustration, we obviously came at a bad time. This is a delicate person I feel we need to take this slowly." Dowel nodded and then turned around to finally notice the six other occupants in the room staring at her, most with angry looks.   
  


"My poor house!" Kimiko said with tears welling up in her eyes.   
  


************   
  


Ranma grumbled as he walked down one of the busier streets of Tokyo. He felt like taking his anger out on a few dozen vampires. He couldn't believe this. He'd just virtually gotten engaged to four girls in one night without doing anything. Ranma sighed and looked towards a newspaper stand that was on the other side of the busy street. Ranma walked across the street, seemingly not paying attention to the cars that swerved passed him on either side. When the boy got to the other side and approached the newsstand the owner of the stand looked a little bewildered and worried.   
  


"Jeeze kid! What are you trying to do? You could have been seriously injured, or even killed." Ranma just picked up a local newspaper and looked at the front page.   
  


"No I couldn't have." He said to the stand owner just as he began to read an intriguing article. *Three newspaper reporters were brutally killed in an abandoned factory just on the outskirts of Tokyo in the Juuban area. This was after several people have reported seeing werewolves and other such beasts int the area. The local newspaper had sent a man to investigate but he never came back, two more were sent to investigate afterwards but they too disappeared. The police were finally contacted and an investigation was underway the next morning. They found the bodies in three different areas of the factory and had deemed that they were done by a large animal, probably a bear, one was reported to have escaped from a zoo earlier in the week. The factory had been deemed off limits to all civilians after three forensic investigators were found torn to shreds after finding a trail into the sewers below.* Ranma had read enough He had found the perfect place to vent his anger and frustration.   
  


He put the paper down on the rack and leapt onto a nearby car, after that he spring boarded onto a low one story building and then gradually leapt from floor to floor and finally to the room he then began running towards Juuban, using the rooftops.   
  


************   
  


Ranma walked towards the large factory with caution. He could see that there had been an electric fence erectec around it along with a guard station. Ranma walked directly towards the guard who stopped him from advancing once he caught sight of him. "Excuse me kid but this place is off limits. Your going to have to turn around and head back." Ranma looked the guard over and sneered. He wasn't much. The man was skinny, with short brown hair and light features. He could tell that the man wasn't a fighter from his posture. The most he was capable of was calling in a higher officer. Ranma moved forward and the man backed up and put his hand on his radio.   
  


Ranma smirked and then rushed forward, giving the man a right hook. The man fell to the ground and held his face in pain. Ranma then booted him in the face and the man fell unconscious. Ranma then turned and walked through the guards station. Heading directly towards the factory. "Law enforcement is going down the drain." Ranma noted to himself as he approached the dark, silent structure. Ranma entered through a side entrance figuring that walking through the front door was as good as deliberately stepping in a bear trap.   
  


The factory was dark, machinery looked over him in every direction, windows cast foreboding shadows and Ranma stalked silently through the structure. He unsheathed one of his swords when he heard a small sound off in the distance up ahead. He walked towards where he heard the sound and then came to a door, he opened it up and walked in, keeping low and close to the shadows so that he was harder to detect.   
  


He was in a store room of some sort. Wooden boxes loomed up and towered over him, Ranma heard a slamming sound and looked back behind him to see the door he had entered through had slammed shut. He rushed over and tried to open in but it was locked from the other side.   
  


"You shouldn't have come here." Ranma looked worriedly up at the boxes and in the shadows he could see hundreds of sets of glowing yellow and orange eyes.   
  


"I think I'm in trouble." Ranma said as three were-creatures dropped down in front of him with menacing growls plastered on they're faces. They were' about three or four heads taller than Ranma and were all muscle.   
  


"You have no Idea how much trouble you're in little boy!" One of the larger ones that looked kind of like a panther said as it leapt at Ranma. The boy's instincts kicked in and he stabbed the creature through the heart with his blade after he dodged the strike from the beasts claws. The were-panther's eye's rolled back in his head and his form shifted and turned into that of a regular Japanese male of about thirty years old. Ranma let the corpse drop to the ground and the other were-beasts looked in shocked horror.   
  


Ranma unsheathed his other sword and got into a stance. Just then dozens of were-cats and wolves leapt from the shadows and began attacking the Dhampir boy. Ranma rushed into the fray and began spining around in complicated patterns. His sword sliced through the Lycanthrope like a hot knife through butter. The were-creatures didn't seem to be able to lay a finger on the boy.   
  


Each time one would die by his blade they would revert back to a human form. Ranma saw another door and began to make a run for it, dodging and slicing any and all Lycanthrope that got in his way. *Gotta get out of here! There's too many of them I can't last long if they keep coming like this.* Ranma held a wound that he had acquired from the fight that was bleeding. Apparently one of the quicker of them had cut open his arm.   
  


All of the Were-beasts stopped as did Ranma when a booming voice called out in the room. "STOP! THIS HAS GONE TOO FAR! TOO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THIS SENSELESS BATTLE!"   
  


"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!" Ranma called out into the darkness. A figure began to walk towards Ranma, all of the other were-beasts moved aside to let the new one through. Ranma gawked. This one was huge. It was at least nine to ten feet tall. His muscles rippled like waved in the ocean as he walked towards him. The hair on this ones body was blue, and a bright white mane covered his head, he wore some sort of armor made mostly of leather and metal shoulder pads.   
  


"I am Jun-zo Tomohiko Yoneue. I am the leader of the Were-race. WE have existed for thousands of years. Relying on our ability to live apart from humanity to survive. Those other reporters were killed merely because they knew too much. If word were to get out that Werewolves an other such creature existed than hunters would surely come after us and kill every single one of us. That is what happened 700 years ago and that is what would happen now." Ranma looked confused.   
  


"What are you talking about? If you revealed yourselves now you'd more likely be treated like celebrities and get movie deals."   
  


The larger lion like lycanthrope smirked. "In the eyes of one we may not be all evil but in the eyes of society we are a threat to humanity."   
  


Ranma shrugged and sheathed his sword. "Fine! I'll leave you alone. I was just looking for some evil to kill. I read it in a newspaper and I figured that I could just go do that." Ranma then turned around to leave through the door he was originally heading towards.   
  


"WAIT!" called Jun-zo. "You may leave on one condition."   
  


Ranma turned and looked at the large lycanthrope quizzically. "And what is that?"   
  


The large beast got into a fighting stance of it's own. "If you can defeat me. You may leave and we will publically reveal ourselves."   
  


"And if I lose?"   
  


"Than you will be turned into a Lycanthrope yourself and must give up your life and live with us in secret."   
  


Ranma smirked and got into a ready martial arts stance, sans swords. "Your pretty confidant that you can win. I accept your challenge."   
  


The large were-lion smirked and ran towards Ranma, "I wasn't giving you a choice boy!" Ranma ducked as Jun-zo's left fist swung at him. Jun-zo followed through with another swing with his right but Ranma spun inside the overgrown man-lion's defenses and then kicked the creature in the head twice as hard as he could.   
  


Jun-zo stumbled back and rubbed his jaw in pain. "This is impossible! No ordinary human could land such blows on me and cause so much pain!"   
  


"Your catching on." Ranma noted.   
  


Jun-zo leapt towards the teenage vampire hunter with a furious snarl. Ranma had anticipated this and the Saotome school of martial arts was an aerial combat style. Ranma leapt at the blue lion man who didn't expect Ranma to react so fast or to meet him in mid air. Ranma reigned dozens of punches and kicks to the Were-creature's torso and head and Jun-zo came crashing down to the ground. Ranma landed lightly and got into a defensive stance.   
  


Jun-zo winced. His face ached. Ranma's punches were damn near super human. "What the hell are you?" The Blue furred lord of were-beasts asked. Ranma smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"   
  


Jun-zo stood up and smiled at the boy. "I'm not a mindless monster young man. Contrary to what you might think I can see when I'm beaten. I accept defeat and will honor my agreement."   
  


Ranma shrugged his shoulders as he let his guard down. "It wasn't my idea. It doesn't matter at all to me whether you revealed yourself to the public. You don't have to. I'll keep your secret."   
  


Jun-zo put up a large furred hand to stop Ranma. "I've made my conditions. I will live by them. The press have been very nosy and it is only a matter of time before we are revealed. I would rather we come out and live with the community than hide from them and kill them when they try to expose us."   
  


Ranma nodded and turned towards the door. "Well I'm sorry that I jumped to conclusions. I hope you and your people can find happiness in coexistence. It kind of shocked me a little that were-wolves even existed. I was just trying to find something to occupy my mind with. I just got engaged to four women an hour or two ago. I was a little stressed out."   
  


With that said Ranma turned and exited out the door.   
  


One of the many were creatures, a were-tiger, looked up at Jun-zo. "FOUR fiances?"   
  


Jun-zo just stared at the door that the Saotome Blade exited and had a shocked kind of bewildered look on his face. "That kid leads one HELL of a messed up life." Most of the were-creatures in the large room nodded in agreement.   
  


*************   
  


Ranma yawned as he walked towards the Tendo house. He had been walking for the last hour and a half and it was getting late. It had been at least three to four hours since he had left the Tendo dojo to go hunting. He opened up the front gate to the Tendo yard he then took out a key from his pocket that Nabiki had given him. He unlocked the front door and headed up to his and Donny's room after slipping off his shoes.   
  


He yawned as he took off his trench coat and threw it in the corner of the room. He leaned his swords up in one corner of the room and then lay down on the futon. His eyes flared open when he sensed movement on the other side of the room. Just then out of the darkness a brown furred claw came crashing down towards the pony tailed boy. Ranma rolled out of the way but his fatigue got the better of him and he didn't catch the second claw coming at him from the other side.   
  


The nails of the claws dug deep into the flesh on his arms. And he screamed in pain. He looked up at his attacker and sure enough it was a were-creature of the wolf type. "What the HELL do you want!?" Ranma asked through gritted teeth as he glared up at his assailant.   
  


The wolf man stared at Ranma murderously. "I want your life BOY! Because you've just ruined mine." Ranma winced and gave a whimper of pain as the Werewolf dug it's claws in deeper.   
  


"What the, Hugh!, Hell are you talking ...about?"   
  


The wolf growled and then began explaining. "I had everything. I had power. I was a force to be reckoned with by the common man after I had been turned into a werewolf! I had to live apart from society killing anyone who got too much information about my new race! I ENJOYED killing those people! It was INVIGORATING and I couldn't get enough! I gave the newspapers and news people tips as to where there might be werewolves, then I killed them! I did it every chance I got and got away with it every time!" The wolf then leaned in closer to Ranma and breathed on his face. Ranma turned his head away to get away from the smell. The wolf continued. "Now we have to live WITH humanity! Now if I kill I can't get away with it. And it's all YOUR FAULT!"   
  


The werewolf then lifted one of his claws up above his head and prepared to give the death blow. It stopped when he heard the door to the room they were in open. A sleepy Kasumi walked into the room, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "Ranma? What's going on in here? What's all this noise?" The wolf smiled down at Ranma evilly and Ranma got a horrified look on his face.   
  


"No." Ranma whispered before the Werewolf jumped off of him and leapt towards Kasumi.   
  


All of a sudden Kasumi was violently shoved forward. She couldn't see her attacker and struggled to get out of the iron hold that he had on her. All of sudden she screamed as loud as she could as the werewolf bit down on her right shoulder. The wolf man's maw was large and engulfed a good portion of her chest and back.   
  


Nabiki awoke with a start when she heard the scream. She threw on a robe that she had lying next to her bed and threw open the door to see what was going on. She recognized the scream as Kasumi's and covered her mouth in worry. She saw Akane open the door to her room and exit out into the hall. She had an equally worried expression on her face and was obviously awakened by the scream as well. They ran towards Ranma's room which was where the scream had come from.   
  


Back in Ranma's Room. Ranma ran to the corner and grabbed his swords. He unsheathed both of them and ran towards the werewolf that had just dropped a bleeding Kasumi to the ground. Ranma jumped at the wolf but was blinded by his rage and was swatted away like an annoying fly. He impacted the wall like a wrecking ball and fell to the ground like a ton of bricks. The wolf then jumped towards Ranma but the boy put his feet up to the wolves chest and shoved him across the room. "You sick son of a BITCH!" Ranma growled as his eyes glowed red and he ran towards the wolf again.   
  


The wolf was a little disoriented from the kick he had received from Ranma and wasn't expecting another attack so soon. Ranma's blades both came down towards the wolf but it dodged. The attack wasn't all unsuccessful and it cut off the werewolves left arm. The wolf gave an inhuman cry of pain and rage and attacked Ranma with a swing of his remaining arm. Ranma dodged that as well as a few kicks and then rushed forward when he saw an opening. His blades stabbed forward and plunged deep into the chest of the beast.   
  


The wolf looked down at the blades protruding from his chest and then fell to the ground reverting back into it's original human form as it died.   
  


Nabiki and Akane stopped running when they heard an animalistic cry coming from Ranma's room. The two girls slowed down to a silent walk. Akane gasped when she saw a foot sticking out of Ranma's room. A slipper lay close by the foot and Akane recognized it as Kasumi's slipper. Akane ran towards the room at full speed. Nabiki tried to stop her but Akane had already made it to the room by the time she had gotten the chance. Nabiki ran towards her younger sister when she heard her scream.   
  


Ranma was sitting in the door way cradling Kasumi in his arms she was bleeding profusely from many wounds across hr chest and back and her clothes were torn to shreds. Blood soaked the ground and Kasumi was coughing up blood as she desperately tried to breath. There was another man in the room and he had two swords protruding from the center of his chest. The man had brown hair and was muscular, and obviously dead.   
  


Ranma looked up at the two girls with worried eyes. "CALL A DOCTOR!" He screamed at the two of them. Nabiki nodded and rushed downstairs to call doctor Tofu. Akane knelt down and began crying as she stroked her eldest sister's cheek. Just then Soun Tendo and his wife Kimiko ran upstairs and beheld the sight in front of them.   
  


"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Screamed Mrs Tendo at the sight of her first child dying.   
  


***************   
  


Author's notes: {WHOOO! Bet nobody expected something like this to happen when I started writing this story. Lets recap for a moment. Ranma just uncovered a secret society of were-creatures, Kimiko Tendo is still alive, Kasumi was just bitten by a werewolf. What could I possibly screw up next on this story? How about uncovering Ranma's past and why he's half vampire? Oh you know you want it. And all will be revealed in Saotome Blade chapter six, Showdown! This was a fairly long chapter to Saotome Blade and I'm just getting started. I'm hoping to finish this story by January. I'm finally getting some good ideas concerning this. As for my other stories. I probably won't even work on them at all until I've finished this one. I don't want to be like animeaddiction and start story after story nd never get anything finished. I'll be mostly working on one thing at a time from now on. Doing three or four chapters before moving on to another story. I've always had the biggest plans for Saotome Blade and it's the first fic that I started so I thought it would only be natural to finish this one first.   
  


Adamantium Rage also has big plans and it's got a cool finally also. I just got to get past all the stuff in-between. It's gonna be a pretty long story. I'm having lot's of fun screwing up the Ranma 1/2 universe. It's a great pastime. I've also started a band recently. I'm the drummer and the lyricist. I do most of the work and I keep the band from falling apart. We're called Filling the Void. That's not really important right now though. Once I finish this story I'll be moving on to Adamantium Rage.}   
  


That's all from my big mouth and crooked imagination.   
  


Syonara   
  


Morden Night 

http//:josh_vh.tripod.com 

anime_morden@crystal-tokyo.com 


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